


Consequences

by Lananiuska



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2020-12-17 00:33:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21045359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lananiuska/pseuds/Lananiuska
Summary: When Regina Mills loses her memory, Robin elaborates a plan that will end up not only changing the way he saw her, but it will also complicate things for him in a way he never would have thought.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old story of mine slightly based on the movie Overboard so yes, it's totally random and reality inaccurate (as if any of this would happen IRL, tsk). In here, we will have both Robin and Regina making awful choices and dealing with them so yes, they will be very much stupid. It will obviously be an Alternative Universe kind of thing so let's see how it goes. Rated M just to be sure, characters not related as they are on the show and no Henry for Regina. Other than that enjoy.

Running the ball of her forefinger through the smooth surface of the marble bathtub that rose in the middle of her Presidential Suite's luxurious bathroom, Regina Mills closed her eyes in relaxation and breathed out until she found the object she has been blindly looking for with her hand.

Once it was secure in her hold she lifted it, brought it to her lips and took a sip of it. Without looking at it, the raven haired could imagine it in her eyes, the deep crimson colored liquid nearing her lips and sliding right pass them to fill her mouth with its dark and mysterious flavor.

It was a really good wine, not that she would settle for less, and as she savored it she was glad that she decided to order a whole bottle with her room service dinner.

She was after all in an uncork and unwind kind of mood.

Taking another sip and swallowing it down, she put the glass back to where it has been, her ears picking up the distinct sound of her phone ringing in the distance.

"And here we go again." She mumbled under her breath to no one in particular as she opened one eye first and then the other.

But then, as if answering her complain, the phone rang once again and Regina grunted, getting up to her feet and stepping out of the tub while dripping wet.

She did this with all the calm in the world, her warm chocolate eyes searching through the room for a towel and then walking to it when she found it. Once it was wrapped around her frame, she finally stepped out of the bathroom and headed towards the room to attend the phone call.

The iPhone was ringing alright, it hadn't stopped doing it since she was back at the tub and now that she was next to it was still going strong, the person at the other line obviously being way too insistent and a pain in her behind.

Rolling her eyes and blowing out a breath, Regina picked it up without checking who it was and in the most neutral tone she could muster she answered. "Mills speaking,"

"Ms. Mills, thank God you answered; we've been trying to contact you all throughout the day with no luck whatsoever. Are you already here? The meeting will start in less than half an hour."

Recognizing the woman's voice as that of her assistant, Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm on my way, won't make it on time though." She said petulantly, walking across the room until she was standing in front of one of her Louis Vuitton rolling cases.

"Okay… um." The woman at the other end of the line chuckled nervously. "So what do I say to them? They've been asking and I don't know what to tell them."

Without bothering to say something to that and without any kind of remorse whatsoever, Regina hung up the phone and threw it over the bed.

So yeah, she lied about being on her way but who cared?

Besides being late wasn't such a bad thing in her situation; actually it was the icing on top of the cake as she was sure that it was the opportunity she has been looking for. She knew how the business worked and well, truth was that punctuality was an essential asset and if she started lacking it then they would deem her unreliable.

Now it could be that yes, a woman in her position shouldn't be trying to make herself look fickle or even irresponsible, but she tried to do it the right way and they didn't even listen, now it was going to be her way.

It was simple, she has been trying to resign from the company she has been basically running for some time now and nothing, no response. Not a yes, not a no. As far as she knew the letter was gathering dust in the hands of the Board of Directors and as of yet they hadn't even cared enough to accept it.

First they claimed they needed her to close a few deals, well she closed them. Next it was the external audit, and for that she stuck, but by then they had run out of excuses and they were simply ignoring her request in the hopes that she would get over whatever it was that she was going through.

But she hadn't gotten herself through it, what she wanted was an amicable way out of her contract and even though she has practically given everything she had for them, they wouldn't even answer her.

But they _did_ have the time to ask for her to do this and there she was. That day it was more than a business deal to close, it was selling the opportunity of a partnership between two companies that promised to prosper into something huge, something that was going to change the course of the company in a very positive way and they wanted her there.

What they wanted was big, and for that reason she decided to pull her own strings. She said she was going to be there, she checked-in into the hotel they reserved for her and she was definitely going to get their attention by arriving fashionably late. That it was an asshole move? Yes, but it was what it was. It would serve them well not to ignore her a next time.

Besides they had a great team to make the presentation, it wasn't like it all depended on her.

Sure, pulling a no show no call was an irresponsible thing that was nothing like her, but now they would get the hint and finally grant her what she has been asking for the last couple of months.

A mutual release of contract.

With that in mind and hoping this would be the last straw, the COO of the company she wanted to resign from picked up the clothes she was going to wear and started to put them on. She did that relatively quick, but then it was time to do her make-up and she knew for sure that she was going to take longer than half an hour. And that was without mentioning that then she had to drive to the location where the meeting was about to take place.

"I'll definitely won't make it on time."

After saying that, she went on to get ready and amidst her meticulous work, she scoffed. She was sure that her days as COO were numbered and she loved it… because as soon as that part of her life would be over, she could start doing what she has always wanted to do…

XxXxXxXxX

Tapping his lean long fingers to the fabric of his pants covering his knee, Robin Locksley forced out a smile as the woman sitting behind the desk cleared her throat once more.

"Do you want to reschedule the meeting?"

"No. We are good to start whenever you are ready." He said in his British accent as he gathered the folders and papers he had brought with him to deliver the presentation he and his team worked so hard to come up with.

"Perfect, in five minutes then." With that said she picked up the phone and started dialing to what he assumed was the directives of the company.

"Where the bloody hell is she?"

Clenching his jaw as the man at his side whispered the question almost in his ear, Robin nodded while the smile remained on his lips. He said nothing though, first because he didn't have an answer to that and second, because it wouldn't do to give the impression that there was something wrong.

It was bad enough that the secretary suggested they reschedule the meeting so imagine if they realized that _she_ apparently wasn't coming at the appointed hour.

"We'll have to do this on our own." He said finally, making sure that only the man at his side could listen.

The other man pulled back and ran a hand down his face, gathering his thoughts "Alright, alright. That's not too bad. I mean who better than you to do it, mate? We got this, we got the charm and the guile."

Humming, Robin bit down the bitter chuckle that wanted to break out of him. So yes, what his co-worker and best friend said was true, what they brought to the meeting was pretty much his presentation as Marketing Manager and he knew it better than anyone. But it was also true that the face of the company and basically the ace they had to their advantage was missing and that wasn't good… like at all.

Now usually, Robin was more confident and perhaps even more cheerful when he had to present an idea to sell. It was his job and not only did he love it, but he was very good at it, but that day he just wasn't feeling it.

It was stupid and he knew it, but he had a lot of things going through his mind that were making him feel a bit out of his element; besides he couldn't deny that it bothered him that of all the presentations they had scheduled, Regina Mills choose to skip the most important one. The one that promised a new partnership for the company and sure, why not? His chance to prove his worth.

He didn't know nor he cared what was going on with the woman, but judging by her assistant Belle's frustrated complains about the whole thing, it wasn't like she had an emergency or something of the like. No, she just wasn't showing up on time.

The way he saw it, it was a very reckless thing to do and well, the least she should have done was tell them beforehand of her absence so they wouldn't end up looking like complete fools in the eyes of their possible business partners. She knew better than anyone how those little details could affect the whole deal and it bothered him that she just didn't seem to care.

Yeah, yeah, it wasn't like her at all to pull such a thing. She was after all known for being pretty much an extremely driven workaholic; she breathed and lived for the company and was even considered a ruthless business shark in a very competitive enviroment. But what she was pulling on them that day, he didn't like.

"Still can't believe she's not showing up today of all days."

Quirking his lips and holding back from telling Killian his own thoughts about their COO, what he did was take a look at his wrist watch, noticing that they still had a couple of minutes to spare. "Belle says she'll be late, but I think it would be better if she doesn't show up at all."

Grinning, Killian arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, and who is going to tell our lovely boss lady that, you?"

Smiling from ear to ear even though he wasn't feeling it, Robin nodded while picking up his phone to start dialing her number.

Now, he knew the COO was going to auto combust in anger about the fact that he was calling her out, but he didn't care. Maybe he was out of line because she was after all one of the top dogs, second in command under the Board of Directors and she wasn't someone who was specifically known to be an amicable boss; but looking at it in a business perspective, not showing was better than being late.

She would understand that. Yes, she was a condescending woman but she had a great head for business and he doubted that she wanted to see this deal fail. So he was going to take his chance and hope for the best.

So yes, he called and when she picked up he got mentally prepared for it. "What is it now, I told you I was on my way."

At the sound of her exasperated voice through the other line of the phone, Robin took in a deep breath and blew it through his mouth.

This was not going to end well and he knew it. Now, Regina Mills, he couldn't say that he knew the woman outside their work environment, but what he knew of her was enough for him to know that maybe, just maybe he shouldn't have called. But what was done was done.

"Ms. Mills, this is Locksley speaking. I, we are about to start the meeting and before going in I wanted to inform you that Jones and I will excuse your absence and go on with the presentation."

"Locksley?" She asked from the other line and he snorted, his hand automatically going to his forehead as he rested his head against his palm.

"Yes, Robin Locksley." He said and swallowed down the urge of ending the sentence with his job tittle to see if it rang a bell.

"I know who you are, what I don't get is why are you calling." Her voice came off in her usual petulant tone. "If I said I was going to be late then I'll be late."

Unbelievable he thought, but she was the boss so he sucked it up and talked as easy going as his mood allowed him to. "Alright. So should we wait for you then?" He asked because he had to, but he knew full well that waiting was going to kill the deal before the meeting even started. He didn't want that to happen, he has worked his ass off on that project for too long and it wasn't fair that it was going to fall short just because of this.

But that was it, the ball was in her yard so it was up to her.

For a few seconds she said nothing and Robin waited anxiously. "You know what, Locksley, go ahead and start without me. Let's see if that ridiculously high paycheck we give you is justified."

With that said she hung up.

Once the line went dead he pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it. He didn't exactly know what to make out of that brief conversation. Sure, she didn't exactly act as mad as he though she was going to get, but she hadn't either made him feel at ease with what was going on.

"So, she chew your ass off, didn't she?"

"I don't know yet, but I have a feeling that if we don't make this deal happen she will definitely do just that."

Killian scoffed. "Sure, yeah, no pressure. I mean she'll just eat us alive and spit our bones if we don't deliver. Wouldn't be the first time anyway so-"

Unable to help it, Robin snorted and patted his friend on the back. "Talk for yourself, buddy, because I still haven't been on the receiving end of one of her infamous rotten moods." At least not personally, but he knew all about it.

Killian was the one who would always get his ass handed to him but he guessed that came with the territory, he was after all Chief Financial Officer and the one responsible for all financial woes.

"And that's totally not fair."

Sighing and nodding his head, Robin shrugged. "Life is not bloody fair. Come on, let's do this."

With that said, Robin got to his feet and proceeded to do what he came there to do.

It took them a little more than an hour of being in there to finish, and even though they got no definitive answer to the proposal, Robin was positive that they were going to hear from them very soon and with great news. It went well, extremely well if he had to give his opinion, but still, they had to wait.

As for the COO? She never showed up. It made him wonder because quite honestly it wasn't in the woman's nature to delegate and let alone to leave such an important meeting on the hands of others.

She was the kind of person that was first to arrive and last to leave and that she just didn't show up was strange.

Now... Regina Mills, he couldn't say that he couldn't stand the woman because in his always good nature he didn't have it in him to despise anyone. But if there was someone that rubbed him the wrong way, it was her.

She was just an arrogant human being that only thought about the things that could benefit her cause, which was obviously always work related. She was a hard pill to swallow who wouldn't hesitate to tell people off, she was a perfectionist to a fault that demanded the same of her staff and yes, even though a brilliant business woman, she lacked on interpersonal skills.

He guessed he could give it to her and say she wasn't entirely terrible, after all she drove everyone who worked close to her to reach their full potential and sure, he guessed she was fair and would recognize a work well done; but overall she was just someone totally opposite to him.

Where he was kind and friendly she was haughty and sharped tongued, her attitude was cutting and that was something that didn't settle so well with him.

It was a shame, really… but the woman was as cold as she was beautiful.

But not wanting to waste another thought on the woman who almost screwed him over by not showing up, he switched off everything work related in his brain and drove straight to his house once the meeting was done.

He was tired, probably even mentally drained and all he needed was to rest now that the weekend was there. He even passed on going out with Killian to have their mandatory celebration drinks not to jinx the results of their presentation.

But as it was always happening as of late, his plans were completely ruined and as soon as he opened the door to his home, his sanctuary, he groaned out loud and wished he would have said yes to a couple of drinks.

"Oh great! Tuck, what did I tell you about pooping outside the training pad? God… and what is that smell?"

Shaking his head, he took off his soiled shoes and threw them in his front lawn. After that he turned on the lights and took a look into his house.

It was a mess, Tuck seemed to have forgotten his training and he was doings his things everywhere. He knew it was probably the new house, but as of late he didn't have the time nor the patience to start training the dog all over again.

And then it was this, ever since his divorce and then moving into a new house, it was a bit hard to keep things under control. When he wasn't there, which was most of the time thanks to work, there was no one to walk Tuck. He was lucky his brother agreed to come every day to feed him but he didn't always took him out.

He was also finding it extremely hard to keep things tidy, his laundry was a mountain of clothes that seemed to have no end and he was sure that his fridge held a ridiculous amount of spoiled food that sat there undisturbed.

It was ridiculous, but what was worse, it was unacceptable of him to have the house like that when he knew his son's visitations were about to be settled for good.

For all he knew, he could have Roland as soon as the following weekend so he needed to put his life together before then.

"Well, it seems like we need to find some help here, you naughty boy." He said absentmindedly as Tuck came running to him. Crouching down, he petted his Lab and sighed. "So remind me first thing in the morning to call an agency that can come here to clean this mess."

Once he said that, his phone started to ring and straightening up, he took the smartphone off his pocket and picked it up.

"Hello,"

"Good after noon, may I know who am I speaking to?"

Quirking his lips and automatically thinking that it was a wrong number, Robin arched an eyebrow. "Who do you want to talk to?"

"I'm talking from the Saint Mary hospital. We have a woman here that suffered an accident and since this was the last number in her phone, we are trying to find a family member."

Having a bad feeling about it, Robin held the phone tighter and tensed his jaw. "A woman, and what woman is this?"

"She didn't have any kind of ID with her, but there's a credit card with the name Regina Mills. Does the name sounds familiar?"

"Oh my God, yes… what happened? Is she alright?"

"She was in a car accident, it wasn't too grave so don't worry. The thing is that she hit her head hard and how she doesn't remember anything. She has post-traumatic amnesia."

Shaking his head, Robin snorted. "What?" Wasn't that the kind of things that happened only in movies?

"We are positive that this will be temporary. She just needs someone to help her remember things. So are you related to her, sir?"

Blinking slowly and taking a look around his messy house, his mind started to run a thousand miles per second.

No… he couldn't do it, it was wrong! But then again, he was too tired and clearly not thinking straight.

Clearing his throat and looking up to his ceiling, Robin closed his eyes and silently asked God for forgiveness. "Yes, yes… we, umm she's my wife."


	2. Chapter 2

Robin was still amazed at how it easy it has been for him to blatantly lie and convince Regina's doctor that he was her loving husband.

In fact, he didn't have to put much effort to it; he just walked into the hospital, said that he was looking for his wife that just had an accident and when the Doctor went to talk to him, he just acted worried but relieved at the same time that she was alright, even if she was temporarily sans memory.

That first meeting with the medical personnel went smoothly, they told him everything there was to know about her condition and he was even allowed to see her. Now, all that has been the previous day but he remembered as if it was happening right in that moment; how he had walked into her room feeling almost positive that she was going to get her memory back as soon as she saw him and yeah, he had to admit that he has been a bit afraid that his charade would crumble before it even begun and that he would be exposed as a fraud.

But instead of recognizing him, Regina just stared at him with a mix of curiosity and disdain and then announced that she was tired and that she wanted to sleep.

Shaking his head and thinking that the blow to the head didn't improve her ways much, he reluctantly went to her, kissed her forehead to show the Doctor that he was 'madly in love' with that woman no matter what and promised that he was going to bring her a few things to help her remember.

The doctor told him that bringing things and talking to her would help because if she continued to be stable, they were going to release her out of the hospital after the first twenty-four hours of observation culminated.

After telling him that, a nurse gave him the things Regina had with her at the moment of the accident, which was a handbag with her phone, a wallet, some make-up, a small bottle of perfume and a hotel card key, after that was in his custody that was it. They didn't ask for ID's or anything of the like, they just trusted his word.

Now, after leaving the hospital, Robin went home and during the whole night he just sat with Tuck at his porch, pretty much sure that he was stepping over the line with this. Surely the woman had friends and family that would want to know about her whereabouts; or better yet, what about her job?

If there was something that would raise a red flag was the woman not showing up at the company, because everyone at the office knew that she would never, ever miss a day of work.

As far as he knew, first thing in the morning when someone noticed she never arrived, they would start looking for her and it would look bad for him if what he did was known.

What excuse would he give?

Thinking about that and running his hand lazily over his dog's head, Robin heard the woman's phone ringing and thinking that it could be someone of interest, he quickly took the iPhone to check it.

If it was a family member or someone who knew her personally, he was going to come clean and tell them what happened and where she was, it was for the best.

But it hadn't been a call, just a text message from someone he was very familiar with, Mr. Gold, the CEO of the company.

Upon seeing that name, Robin put the phone down; he doubted about what he should do for several seconds because if there was someone more difficult to deal with in the company than Regina Mills, it was the big boss himself, Mr. Gold.

The man was probably also the only person in the entire company besides of Belle that probably knew about someone close to Regina that could go and pick her up.

That's what made him grab the phone again and go through the message.

'_Your resignation letter has been denied. Sort out whatever it is that you are going through however you want, take a vacation or just take up on yoga I don't care. See you in three weeks. And Regina, really, sort it out. No more shenanigans.'_

Furrowing his brow, Robin has sat aghast, reading the words over and over again until their meaning started to sink in. Regina gave up a resignation letter?

Why would she do that? She was on top of her game, she was successful and… it didn't make any sense whatsoever.

Could that be the reason why she didn't show up at the meeting?

He scoffed, but as he tried to think of her reasons, another thought invaded him and this one made him once again wonder what the hell he was doing. But the thing was that if Gold sent Regina on a three weeks vacation… that meant that if he decided to pull through with the whole thing, then he wouldn't have to worry about covering what he was doing because of her job. At least not for a while.

But no, it was just wrong and he couldn't… she still had family… besides what was going to happen after those weeks went through, or worse, when she got her memory back?

But before he could convince himself to do the right thing, he used her phone and replied to Mr. Gold a simple _OK_.

Then he turned off the phone, put it in his pocket and kept thinking…

All that has been the night before, and now first thing in the morning of a new day he was back at the hospital with a fresh change of clothes he picked from her hotel room, a few of her toilerettes and a small bunch of photos he made Belle send him with the excuse that his team was working on a commemoration video of the Company's upcoming anniversary.

Sure, he had also searched and meticulously chosen a few photos from her phone and then he revealed them in a local Walgreens in just one hour.

Smiling and thinking that he has definitely lost his mind for keeping up with the madness of making her believe they were married, Robin walked across the nurses' station and made it to the room he knew Regina to be in.

"Good morning." He said cheerfully as he set the things he brought over a chair. "How are you feeling today?"

Regina was already awake, sitting crossed legged on her bed and staring blankly out the window; but as soon as she heard his voice she pursed her lips and tilted her head towards him.

The previous day she was been looking way too pale and kind of drowsy, but now she seemed more alert… more like herself. Yeah, it was a bit weird to see her face clean of any make-up but in all honestly it wasn't a bad look on her as it made her look more approachable.

Not replying to him, the woman just turned her head back to the window and shrugged.

"Alright, I guess you are kind of moody because you hate hospitals but that's okay, this same after noon I'll get to take you back home."

At those words, Regina turned back to him and twisting her lips in a grimace, she arched an eyebrow. "I don't know you so I won't be going anywhere with you."

Faking a double take, Robin took the photos and walked to her. "Regina…" He thought of adding a baby or maybe a honey but quickly dismissed the ideas as it felt too bloody wrong. Instead he just kept talking. "Of course you know me, you are my wife. Here, take a look at these."

Handing her the photos, Robin watched as she started to go through the pictures; studying them one by one. Sure, they were not many and most of them were taken by Belle at a couple of activities the company had thrown for their employees, but because there were a couple were the two of them could be seen in the same frame, he added them.

He has been lucky to find more than three of them but yeah, most of them he had to edit. A bit of Photoshop did wonders and he even managed to put one together with the two of them facing each other.

"Why don't I have a ring? If we are married then where's my wedding ring?"

Not missing a beat, Robin pushed the inside of his cheek with his tongue and snorted. "You really don't remember?"

Shaking her head while still holding the photos in her hand, Regina scanned his face over.

"Well it's getting fixed. Last week we went fishing and you got bored easily. You always do but you still come with me every time because it's a good excuse to get in a boat in the open sea and get a good tan. Anyway, after a while you convinced me to go swimming with you and you forgot to take the ring off and a diamond fell off."

God… the lies that sprouted out of his mouth were unbelievable… he never knew he had such a talent for lying.

"And how could I forget to take off a diamond ring just to go swimming." She asked petulantly, tilting her face up and looking at him straight in the eye.

At that question he scratched behind his ear and shrugged. "Well… it was a thing of the moment and we just didn't have time to remember such trivial details."

Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she grunted in a way that was very close to disgust. "And where are our wedding pictures?"

Jesus, why couldn't the woman just trust in his word?

Sighing loudly, he sat next to her and cleared his throat. "We married in Vegas so there was not much of a wedding. But here's a picture of you in our honeymoon." He said, taking the photos and showing her one where she was smiling a big smile that reached all the way to her eyes while sitting on a beach.

He had printed that photo because he thought that she looked particularly pretty. He didn't know what it was, but he has found that one in her phone and liked it immediately because she looked as he has never seen her before, happy.

It was the first time he got to see her smiling like that and he didn't know, he just liked it and printed it with the rest.

Regina looked at it long and paused, and after a awhile she just looked up to him and blinked very slowly. "I don't remember any of this, or you."

Smiling, he lifted a hand and ran his fingers through her silky black hair. She let him do it, looking at him with all the intensity of her warm brown eyes. That's how he knew he got her, because the Regina he knew would have pushed his hand away while telling him not to touch her ever again.

"It's okay, the doctors say that you will get your memory back at any given moment and chances of that happening will be higher once you are home, surrounded by the things you know and love."

Lowering her eyes from his, Regina sighed. "Then I hope that happens soon."

"Yeah, me too, me too…"

XxXxXxXxX

"This is it, home sweet home."

At the sound of that peculiar accent filling the silence she had imposed upon them ever since walking out of the hospital earlier that day, the black haired woman known as Regina Mills pursed her lips and took a good look at the place that was supposed to serve her as a home.

She did it through harsh critical eyes, halting on her tracks and standing under the door frame as Robin walked inside to put her things over a sofa.

"I know it's a bit messy but we'll work on that later, now we'll focus on getting you better."

Regina didn't even bother to reply to him; she just kept inspecting the house, hoping that anything in there would help her get her memory back.

But nothing did, she didn't remember the place at all. Not that she was really expecting to do so; after all if she couldn't remember the man she married then why would she remember the house where they lived?

"What is that smell?" She said at last, her tone coming off as bored and her arms automatically lifting up so she could fold them against her chest.

Robin laughed heartedly at her words, scratching behind his ear as his sparkling blue eyes looked straight into her brown ones.

"Yes I know, I guess the Fabreze I got at the grocery store last night doesn't really work. Anyway, come in."

With that said, he walked to her, placed a hand to her back and made her walk into the house. Once inside, he closed the door and gave her time to adapt.

"I don't remember any of this." She said, looking away from the man and scanning the place once again.

It was a nice house, not the kind of place she has been expecting but she guessed it was alright. The entrance door lead to a spacious living room equipped by a huge TV mounted on the wall, the leather sofa looked nice and expensive and the decoration was overall kind of appealing.

Sure, she has been expecting to live in the penthouse of a big fancy building that overlooked the city but what did she know; a big house just outside the city limits seemed to be all there was to it.

Wrinkling her nose in disdain, Regina walked down the steps and made it to the sofa.

Yeah, a house outside the city… it could be that she couldn't remember her life before the accident, but she did remember things like cities, brands and good taste and that didn't seem like the kind of place she would willingly live at.

And married? Why on earth would she get married? Yeah, taking a good look at Robin she could see why she was with him; after all he looked good, so far he seemed like a nice guy and he had a smile that would make any woman swoon at the sight of those pearl whites…

But marrying him and settling down in the middle of nowhere as an abnegated wife? No, as good looking as he was, that just didn't seem right.

Sure, that she recognized his nice attributes didn't mean that she felt like swooning at his feet, but she could see lesser women doing so. Not her of course; even without a memory she knew she wasn't the kind of woman who would act like that, even if she felt like it.

"Tell me, why I was out of town and when I had the-" Before she could finish her sentence, Regina saw out of the corner of her eye that a huge beast was running towards them and she immediately retreated and opened her eyes as wide as she could. "What the hell is that?"

She asked almost in disbelief as she saw Robin bend down so the beast could run into his arms.

"Come here boy." The blue eyed man said happily, and when 'his boy' reached him, he placed a hand over its head and laughed. "Looks like mommy doesn't remember you either, why don't you go and say hi to her?"

Almost as if it understood him, the dog tilted its head to the side and stared intently at her.

"I don't want that thing anywhere near me." She hurried to say, her hands resting at the back of the leather sofa and her eyes refusing to move away from the big dog.

She didn't trust that thing and she was afraid that if she turned her back from it, it was going to attack her.

"Regina, he is not a thing, this is Tuck, our dog."

"Why is he so big?" She asked, a hint of desperation in her voice. She didn't like dogs that big… she liked them miniature. "And why is he inside the house?" God, no wonder the funny smell that hit her nose first thing when she stepped in.

Amused at the woman's reaction but not wanting to tell her that Tuck has been a Christmas gift from his estranged wife, Robin snorted and got up to his feet. "Well I tried to find the pocket edition but they ran out of them at the pet shop."

Regina said nothing, she just blinked her warm brown eyes a couple of times as she stared intently at him.

"Okay that was a lame joke; this is a Labrador, they grow up this big."

"Well I don't think I like it." She said, straightening her posture and running a hand down her hair. "Where is the bedroom? I have a headache and I want to lay down."

Pursing his lips and nodding, Robin patted his dog one last time and told him to stay there; after that he motioned Regina to follow him and started to walk up a set of stairs.

The COO followed him tentatively, watching where she was stepping because she didn't want to disgrace her shoes with a little gift from 'her' dog. Fortunately she didn't, as far as she could smell the dog never got upstairs and the real problem was in the living room and the kitchen.

Once inside the bedroom, Regina forced her mind once again to recognize something; thing that she didn't. The king size bed was as alien to her eyes as the covers it had and as her eyes moved around, she realized that couldn't remember ever being in that room.

It was frustrating, ever since waking up in a hospital bed the previous day she has been forcing her mind to remember and as much as she tried to, it remained blank. She didn't remember Robin, the dog, the photos he showed her or the house; and when her husband put her iPhone in her hands, she couldn't decipher the code to unblock it.

He said he had no idea whatsoever on what her code was but he promised to take the phone to a friend at work that could unblock it for her.

Feeling more optimistic about it, she gave him the phone, hoping that if she was able to look at her messages and call a few of her contacts, her memory could start coming back.

Until then, she only had Robin to rely on.

"Do you want something to eat? I can order something if you like."

Taking in a deep breath and sitting over the bed, Regina just pouted her lips and shook her head no. She didn't look up to him, she just casted her head down and stared at her shoes. "I'm not hungry."

"Right. Well shout if you need anything okay?" He said kindly, biting lightly on his lips and watching her from his spot by the door.

Right in that moment, as he observed her looking so vulnerable and lost, he felt something very close to guilt eating his entrails and he almost confessed… almost.

But he was too deep into the lie to backtrack now so he remained silent. After all he signed in the hospital as her husband, he arranged the things she had in her suitcases conveniently in his room and bathroom so she could have a sense of familiarity and he even had a few back-up stories in case she asked about her family or about the fact that her side of the closet wasn't completely full of clothes and shoes.

Hell, he even framed up a picture of them together, obviously Photoshoped and put it over the nightstand so no, he needed to keep it up for a while now.

"I'll be downstairs," With that said, he closed the door and left her alone.

It all felt weird, his motives to do the whole thing seemed hollow and he even cleaned up a bit so the house wouldn't smell so bad when she woke up. He didn't put much effort into it, but at least the place didn't reek anymore.

After that he sat with Tuck on his porch, trying to figure out what he would do with Regina the following day; then when it was close to midnight and when the dog dozed off, he went up to his room's bathroom to take a shower and lay down too.

Upon walking in, he saw that Regina was already sleeping so he moved as silent as a shadow because he didn't want to wake her up; she looked peacefully in her sleep and he didn't want to disturb her.

He also noticed that she had changed into something he had put on a drawer with a few of her things, it was a short silky nightgown he found at the bottom of her Louis Vuitton suitcase and that she was wearing it only told him that she has been nosing in.

Yeah, he had expected that so he just snorted and shook his head.

Regina… even though they had never been close, he just knew that she was going to make a registration of his room. She was a woman after all and that she acted the way she did or that she held such an important position at the company didn't change that she wouldn't be tempted by curiosity, especially if she really thought that was her room too and she was trying to remember.

Taking in a deep breath, he walked to the bed and pulled the blanket up her body. He did it because her nightgown had ridden up her thighs and he wanted to give her some sort privacy.

It may be true that he was doing crazy things when it came to her, but he wasn't a pervert so yeah, he just pulled the blankets up to her chest and walked around so he could get to the other side of the bed.

Sure, out of respect what he should have done was go to the guess room and spend the night there; but what would that tell her?

No, he wanted to make things as credible as possible while they lasted so he just climbed in bed and guarding as much distance as he could, he closed his eyes.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day and he needed all the rest he could get to survive it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Tell me one more time Robin, because I still don't get it; why is it that we are in our boss' penthouse, going through her stuff and packing them?"

Rolling his clear blue eyes and throwing a pair of boots inside the suitcase that was sprawled open in the middle of his fake wife's spacious bedroom, Robin Locksley, blew a breath out of his mouth and looked at Killian.

He has told his friend and co-worker numerous times about the reason why they were there, but apparently the man hadn't been paying attention in any of those times and he needed to be told again.

"Come on Killian, you have the attention span of a four year old little brat. Even my son would have understood by now and he's barely one. What part of it didn't you get?"

Scoffing and walking to the bed so he could sit on it, the dark haired man grabbed a little article of clothing from the bed and held it at a distance so he could look at it with critical eye.

It was a red silky bra and as soon as Robin saw Killian's lips curving into a sly grin, he yanked it from the other man's hands and threw it into the suitcase as well.

"I don't know, I think I got lost in the part where the boss lady asked you to do this for her. I mean I thought you couldn't stand the woman and now you are his personal slave, packing her stuff to send them to Hawaii. And why does she need boots in Hawaii for anyway?"

Arching an eyebrow and pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, Robin looked at his friend without blinking for a few seconds and then he cleared his throat.

"First of all, I never said I couldn't stand her. Yes she is a difficult person to deal with but nothing more. Second, I am not her personal slave; I'm just doing this as a favor. The woman is going through some kind of mental breakdown that even made her hand out her resignation letter."

Not that the company was saying that as the official version, according to Mr. Gold himself the COO was taking a very well deserved vacations and that was it.

"I'm telling you, this is confidential information, but the whole story is that Gold didn't accept it and instead sent her on a three weeks vacation so that she could feel better. I'm just doing my part… in making sure Mills comes back renewed. I just… I kind of feel bad for her, you know?"

"Yeah, poor thing. She's in Hawaii, lying in the sand and tanning on a nice beach while you are here, doing things for her."

Robin shrugged.

"You should have seen her; she was a mess when I saw her after the meeting. She was crying, her mascara was running down her face and I just…" Shrugging again, he looked up to the ceiling and breathed in.

When did it become so easy to lie for him? Since Regina had her accident, a good part of the words that spilled out of his mouth were pure lies and in a way he was amazed with the things he came up with.

"You can say that I felt sympathy for her and now I want to help her."

"Regina Mills crying? Somehow I find that very heart to believe. She's the impersonation of the Ice Queen herself and I'm sure that if a tear ever forms in her eye, it would freeze over before it slides down her cheek."

"Well she was crying that night, torrents."

Squinting his eyes, Killian tilted his head to the side. "You are lying. Why are you lying to me?"

Snorting nervously at the possibility of being caught, Robin leered sideways and gulped. If he would have known that Killian was going to analyze everything that he said, he wouldn't have brought him.

Sure, he had needed his friend as he was the only person he trusted that knew exactly where Regina lived so yes, he has needed him to take him there. But now he was questioning himself about it.

"Why would I lie about that?"

"I don't know, you tell me. But I know you are lying because every time you make something up, your ears turn red and mate, those things you call ears are burning red ever since we got here."

Biting his lips hard, Robin looked at Killian and then he shook his head. He considered it for a second and then shrugged. "Alright, I will tell you the truth but you have to promise that you won't say a word to anyone, anyone."

Looking as eager as a kid who has been promised a stack of candy, Killian lifted his right hand and nodded. "I promise so spit it."

"Okay. Well… Regina got into an accident a week ago, it wasn't too bad but apparently she hit her head pretty hard and as a result she lost her memory. I was the one the doctor called and for some reason that I still can't understand, I lied and said she was my wife. Everybody at the hospital believed it and now I have a Regina with no memory and that thinks she's my wife in my house."

Looking at him through distrusting eyes, Killian arched an eyebrow and chuckled. "Come on Robin, you said you were going to tell me the truth."

Pursing his lips and clearing his throat, Robin blinked slowly. "I just did; that is the truth and the real reason why we are here is because she made me spent more than two thousand dollars in clothes and shoes this weekend so I decided to take some of her own stuff back home so that her half empty side of the closet gets filled to the maximum."

Opening his mouth to laugh out loud, Killian threw some of the clothes that were laying on the bed towards Robin and then he kept laughing.

He went at it for a while and feeling bitter about it, Robin threw the clothes away.

"You are bloody serious. Just what the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't know! I was mad at her for skipping our meeting and I think that in some weird kind of way I wanted to punish her. You know how things have been a mess since the whole divorce and the thing with the custody and I don't know, I really don't know. I think I just dug myself into a hole and I'm just too deep to come out clean now."

At that, Killian laughed louder than ever and Robin sent him a piercing stare.

"You are a bloody idiot my friend, but I have to ask. How is it to live with the Ice Queen impersonated?"

At the question, Robin snorted bitterly. "I'll tell you what, that woman is intense. First day she stayed over she woke me up at six in the morning demanding I take her to a fresh market. Apparently she woke up at five to go on a run and when she came back she wasn't happy that my fridge wasn't up to her standards. I mean who in the bloody hell wakes up at five a Saturday morning?"

And that wasn't all. Five was apparently her to go hour and every single morning she would be up and about since the wee hours of the morning. First going on a run and then waking him up for whatever little reason she felt like.

First it was to go grocery shopping, on Sunday it was because she wanted to know where were all her clothes and Monday it was because he was being lazy on a work day.

She also threw out most of the food in his fridge to buy things he didn't exactly like, she hid the rug in his living room in the garage, she took away his curtains and put them in the trash and what was worse, she lost his dog.

Yeah he found him a day later in one of his neighbor's backyard, but the fact remained that she lost him. It has been an accident and she looked kind of regretful, but he still remembered that day with a bit of ire in his heart.

Oh, and that was without mentioning the lies he had to make up to keep her curiosity satisfied. He lied about her phone, blocking it with a password he knew she wouldn't be able to decipher; he lied about her family and told her she didn't have any and he even made a huge intricate web of lies to explain to her the reason why most of her clothes were missing from her closet.

Sure, three days later he gave in and asked Belle if the woman had any family as he was starting to feel remorseful, but when Regina's assistant told her that she had her parents and a sister but were estranged, he dropped it.

Then there was the issue with her car, she wanted it repaired so he also had to go and send it to get fixed. It has been a mess to get it back after the accident and he obviously had to cover all expenses. And repairing a Mercedes wasn't cheap.

"Did you actually believe she was going to be anything less than intense? I mean have you seen her at work? We all know how she is and I don't think that losing her memory is going to improve her. So tell me, has she done anything at all other that being on your arse all day?"

"Well believe it or not, she is a hell of a cook, that's for sure. And since she apparently is also a bit of a neat freak the house is spot clean as well. "

Scoffing, Killian slapped his forehead. "Come on… at least tell me you are nailing her; that's the only good thing that can come up out of this because let's face it, the boss is quite a looker. Damn fine ass that she has too."

Shaking his head ever so slowly and looking at the man as if he was crazy, Robin puffed out a breath. "What the hell man, of course I'm not, what kind of sick pervert do you think I am?"

Gosh, in his mind trying to get lucky with Regina was the lowest thing he could ever do and if he was sure about something, it was that he would never try anything funny with the boss.

Yes, he wasn't blind and as Killian said, the woman was quite a stunner. That was something he has come to realize the first time he saw her. He was a man after all and as any regular Joe he has gotten a few eyefuls out of her figure. So yes, she looked good, she smelled like sin itself and in more than one occasion, he has found himself thinking that her mouth looked as if it was made for kissing; but that he was aware of her nice attributes didn't mean he would do such a low thing as tricking her into sleeping with him.

Besides in his mind, the way she looked was overshadowed by her haughtiness and cold demeanor so no, nailing her as his friend so crudely put it was out of the question.

Now, it was also true that sharing a bed with her and watching her sleep in those little silk gowns that left nothing to the imagination was very appealing, but he would never try anything funny. Never.

Not only because she was basically his boss and a very difficult one to top it off, but most of all because it was plain and simply wrong.

Smirking, Killian grabbed a little blue silk pantie and threw it in his face. "Just imagine it, the boss lady wearing nothing but those panties while waiting for her generous husband to get home. The things you could do to her…"

"You are bloody out of your mind."

"No more than you mate, no more than you."

"Yeah well let's get this over with. It's at least an hour drive to go back home and hopefully, by the time I get there Regina already got her memory back. She will probably try to kill me if she did, but between you and me, I'm praying for the day she remembers everything so she finally leaves…"

XxXxXxXxXxX

Brushing her hair as her eyes drank on her reflection through the huge mirror hanging from the bathroom's wall, Regina blinked her eyes slowly as her mind continued to run at increased speed over some matters.

Well, it was only one matter that was occupying her mind in that moment and that matter had a name, Robin.

Over the last few days she has been trying to decipher the weird relationship she seemed to have with the man and after much thinking, she realized what was the problem with them.

Cheating…

Either she was cheating on him or he was cheating on her. Perhaps both of them had succumbed into the awful claws of infidelity and that was the reason why they fell apart.

Because yes, even with no memory she could tell they had fallen apart. It was obvious, they slept on the same bed but they never touched, not that she wanted it to happen because let's face it, she couldn't even remember the man. But in her mind it was curious how he seemed to avoid all contact as if the sole thought of it repulsed him.

The most intimate moment she could remember them sharing was him kissing her forehead and even that has been done awkwardly. She just quite honestly couldn't feel any kind of chemistry between them.

They didn't even talk, at least not in a way a married couple should. Instead every word shared felt forced and after spending the day away working, he seemed more excited to see the dog when he got back home than he was to see her.

Arching an eyebrow, Regina put the hairbrush down, still thinking.

Yes, he was the one who was probably cheating because she doubted it was her. Maybe she even knew it and forgot and that was why he was trying to be so nice to her. Maybe he was hoping she would never remember that little fact.

Now, the only problem with that scenario was this; if he wanted her to forget about him cheating, then why wasn't he trying to win her back?

Unless maybe it was the other way around. Maybe she has been cheating, he found out and that was why he acted so detached with her. What if she had the accident while on her way to see her mysterious lover?

"No, that doesn't feel right." She whispered. Then, taking in a deep breath, the dark haired wished she could remember, but so far there was nothing.

It was frustrating as hell to have her mind completely blank and she just had to close her eyes for a minute so she could get a hold of herself.

It helped some, but when she heard the sound of the front door being opened and then the distinct voice of Robin calling their dog, Regina blew out a breath and turned on her heels to head out of the bedroom.

She did it gracefully, trying to force her brain to take a break from the effort of trying to remember. She needed a distraction to do it though and she had the perfect one already in mind.

That was why she tilted her chin up and started to move, her frame covered nicely with a designer dress she picked to wear for that night and her feet wearing a pair of Louboutins she found in the closet.

So yes, she was looking good and she knew it; she has done her hair, she put something nice to dress and she has done her make-up to perfection; meaning that she was sure that Robin was going to notice her.

Not that she wanted to make him fall to her feet, she just wanted to look good for a change and maybe go out and see if there was anything good to do in that good for nothing town Robin has dragged her into.

By the time she made it downstairs, her husband was already getting comfortable over the sofa, Tuck sitting by his side and his shoes forgotten by the door.

It was the same every time and not for the first time, she wondered why they were married.

"You are home." She said in her usual sultry tone while pointing out the obvious.

"Yup, I also brought the things I promised. They are in the garage, I'll get them later." With that said, he looked at her and almost doing a double take, he arched an eyebrow.

He scanned her head to toe and she tried to act as if she didn't even notice. "Please don't tell me it's our anniversary and I forgot." He said at last, his eyes settling on her face.

He had nice eyes, and she liked the sparkle they had in that moment.

"I don't know, I mean when is our anniversary?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and her lips curving into half a smile.

She wasn't going to lie, she liked the way he was looking at her. He wasn't saying it but he was definitely, albeit very subtly, checking her out and yes, that Robin was appreciating her efforts to look good was a nice change. It was a boost to her ego after being sure he somehow was repulsed by her.

"December… twenty-one of last year."

"I thought you said we got married on February 14." She pointed out, because apparently Robin was truly bad with dates.

"And we did," He said without missing a beat. "December 21 was the day we first kissed and then we married in February."

Humming, Regina shifted her weight to her left foot and looked at him through half closed eyes. "So we dated for only two months before getting married?" That was so wrong she couldn't even understand it.

Why would they be cheating on each other if they were newlyweds?

"Yup, love at first sight they call it. So why are you all dressed up?"

"I want to go out tonight, being here every day and all by myself is going to drive me crazy. I need to breathe so come on, take a shower and change into something nice, I'll be waiting right here."

With that said, Regina took the remote out of his hand and being careful not to touch the dog, she sat down by his side and changed the TV series he apparently wanted to watch for one of her own choice.

He hated it when she did that, he never said it but she knew. She did it for that same reason, so he wouldn't have a choice other than to move.

On his part Robin just watched her for a while, then without saying a word he got to his feet and walked to the stairs.

Tuck followed him, but before either one of them could make it upstairs, she reminded him.

"Don't let the dog get into the room."

"Come on, he won't get in the bed."

"I don't care. That floor is spotless and I don't want him there."

Mumbling something that she didn't quite get, Robin groaned and then told Tuck to stay down. Then he was up to his room to do as she told him… take a shower and dress nicely.

Closing the door of his bedroom, he scoffed. He didn't want to go out, but yeah, leave it to Regina to change his plans without letting him know with time. He just couldn't wait until she got her memory back, he just couldn't wait…


	4. Chapter 4

Robin was feeling paranoid; and in this newly state of paranoia that has taken over him since he left the comforts of his house, he could feel at least a dozen pair of eyes watching his every move as he walked into the restaurant Regina insisted on going.

The palms of his hands were sweating, his heart felt constricted inside his chest and he could feel his stomach starting to ache really bad.

Yes, that was how bad he was having it.

Sure, it was stupid to feel that way and he knew it; but it was just that his fake wife had picked a restaurant where he has been many times before and well, he was almost a hundred percent sure that someone was going to come to him and ruin the farce he created for her.

A waitress, an old friend… a neighbor; who knew for sure? He just knew that something was going to go down in that restaurant.

Now, as a rule, he didn't mind running into people he knew, quite the contrary; he has always embraced being a very social person and he liked a good chat with almost anyone. But that night he asked the hostess at the entrance for the most secluded table they had in the locale, because that night he didn't want to take any chances.

That night he wanted to remain in the shadows.

But just to make sure, once they were seated he leered around, hoping that there was no one taking special interest in them. They were after all in a well known restaurant and even though just outside the city, Regina was the COO of a very important company and she could as well be recognized.

"What's with you?" Regina asked almost in a bored tone of voice and flashing her a meek smile, Robin tried to act relaxed.

"With me? Nothing… I'm great… just, tired."

Pursing her lips, the brunette arched an eyebrow and without saying another word, she grabbed the menu and started to inspect it.

She didn't even show the slightest bit of sympathy towards him, her beloved husband and instead she decided to ignore him.

Now, even if that right there proved the egoistical nature of the woman, Robin was glad of her indifference at the fact that he was genuinely tired; after all he was sure that the more they talked, the more he screwed up.

Back at the house he got confused with the dates he has told her about their anniversary and what was worse, she realized it.

It has been her fault though, the last thing he had expected was seeing her all dressed up in front of him and his mind started going in all wrong directions. She looked breathtaking, even more than he has ever seen her looking and as he battled against his brain not to ogle at her he messed up.

Luckily, his mind was quick to react and the lie he made about that other lie seemed to satisfy her.

"I want a bottle of red wine, but I want a really good wine."

Looking at her through half closed eyes, he blew out a breath. He didn't have to check the wine card to know that he was going to spend a few hundred bucks in whatever bottle of wine she wanted, he just knew it. Because if there was something he has come to realize, it was that Regina had a taste for the expensive.

It made him wonder why he told her she was a stay at home wife while he provided for everything. Not even a full week has gone by and of he kept adding up, she was about to cost him more than a paycheck.

"Sure, whatever you want."

Humming and biting on her red-colored full lips, she looked up to him and smiled. It was a small smile but it was probably the first real one he has seen from her up close and personal and he was a bit taken aback.

He didn't even know she could smile without her face cracking and falling off.

Sure, he has seen her grin and smirk way too many times before, but those bordered more in ill-humor than anything else. This was different, and he couldn't help but to think that smiling like she just did, settled her well.

"Good, I also want the pan-roasted salmon with soy ginger glaze."

"A what?" Quirking his lips at how bad that dish sounded, Robin snorted; but ignoring his question, she just told him that she was going to the ladies room and he was left alone to order both their plates and of course, the best wine on the card.

"Robin Locksley, what a lovely surprise. I see that you are moving on very quickly, good."

"Bloody hell," Robin mumbled under his breath and unable to hold it, he cringed. He didn't have to look up to see who just spoke those words so he didn't, he didn't want to look.

And why would he? It was his recently ex-wife and the last person he wanted to see in that precise moment.

So yeah, this was his situation going from bad to worse. It was as if God was punishing him for all his sins; yeah… he was definitely being punished for lying through his teeth so much as of late.

But he was not going to show how out of place he was feeling so snorting and running his fingers along his lips, he decided to look up, mimicking Regina's indifference. "I'm just eating out, you know how it is. I haven't lost the habit of eating every day."

Pursing her lips, Marian crossed her arms to her chest and looked behind her shoulder. Robin followed her eyes and he saw that there was a man sitting a few tables away looking at them somberly.

"Night out, uh?" He asked bitterly, his jaw clenching. "Do you care to tell me where the bloody hell did you leave Roland to go out tonight?"

Lifting her chin, the woman shrugged. "He's with my mother. Sleeping."

"Oh, so he can stay with her but not with me. That's so typically you."

"My mother is living with us so it's not like I took him out of the house in the middle of the night. He's still too young to stay with you."

"I'm his father." He said through clenched teeth while trying to keep his temper at bay. They've had this argument over and over again and so far he hadn't gotten the results he wanted.

He wanted his son, he had all the right in the world to take him home and she wouldn't just let him.

"You can come and see him at the house whenever you want to. But apparently you would rather go out on dinners than seeing your son."

That made him snort because every time he would call to see him, she would make up an excuse so he wouldn't go.

"Right, well it was good seeing you. We're not going to discuss this without my lawyer ever again." With that said, he smiled a fake smile and taking the hint, Marian chuckled.

"I thought you couldn't stand that woman; what was her name? Oh yeah, Regina Mills. So are you going out with her?"

"I don't think that's any of your business so why don't you go back to your date and finish your dinner? He looks uncomfortable that you are here." He said, watching the woman he once promised to love forever and realizing that seeing her hadn't affected him as he thought it would.

It pissed him off, yes, but it was just because the whole deal with Roland.

"Listen, Robin…"

"Am I a interrupting something?" Regina said, her sulty voice drilling into his brain and making him feel like all the blood in his body drained down to his feet.

So this was it; Marian was going to expose him as a fraud, Regina was going to murder him on the spot and he was going to be in the local newspapers as soon as the following morning.

He could already visualize his obituary…

Turning around on her heels, Marian smiled as she faced Regina, looking at her head to toe with critical eyes. "No, I was just leaving."

Then, just like that, his ex-wife walked away and went back to her table.

Feeling as if he could breathe again, Robin blew out the little air he had in his lungs. That was close… he has been so sure that things were going to end badly and yet they didn't.

"Who was that?" Regina asked as she sat down, her tone cold but firm.

Trying to act normal, he swallowed down and shrugged. "No one important; just an ex."

"Oh." The brunette said, placing her elbows on the table and looking at him dead in the eye. "And am I supposed to know about her?"

Narrowing his eyes, Robin pushed the inside of his cheek with his tongue. Watching Regina getting territorial about him was something he never expected to see.

"About her? Well yeah; she's the mother of my boy." He said bitterly. Now he said it so casually because the existence of his son was something she asked as soon as she saw the bedroom he had for him at the house. A room that he hadn't been able to use yet.

He didn't go into much detail about that with her and she never asked more than what he told, thing that he was grateful for.

"Ok. And where did she leave the kid if she's here?" Her tone came off as business like, a tone he has heard many, many times before.

Scoffing as he remembered the woman's words, he leaned a little into the table. "With her mother. She has no problem leaving him with her but I can't even see him out of her house. It's ridiculous."

And he didn't know why he was telling her that, he guessed he needed to get it off his chest.

"Make sure to mention this to the lawyer. Because we have a lawyer right?"

Smiling at how she used the word _we_, he nodded. "Yes we do."

"Good. I don't think I like her and judging by the dirty looks she is sending my way she doesn't like me much either." She smiled, not like she did before but more of a sly smile, as if she liked the fact that Marian didn't like her.

"No, I don't think she does. She never has."

"Oh so we know each other. Interesting."

Going back in memory lane, Robin remembered how he has taken his former wife to a few activities the company has thrown for the employees and if there was something Marian has been very vocal about them, it was how Regina was such a stuck-up that thought too much of herself.

He always thought it was a woman's thing, being petty with each other, but it always struck him as curious that she had such a strong opinion when they never crossed words.

"Well, you don't really know each other, not formally anyway but when you and I first meet I was still married to her."

Tilting her head to the side, Regina licked her lips and blinked a few times. "Is that so… and did you cheat on her with me?"

"No, not at all!" He hurried to say when he noticed the look on the woman's face. She definitely didn't look pleased at that possibility of being 'the other woman' and he didn't want her to think something was odd. "We just got together after Marian and I ended things."

Nodding, she breathed in and when the waitress came to serve their wine, she didn't even look at it.

"So let me see if I get it; you two broke up, then you hooked up with me and in less than two months you married me. I don't know," She said, wrinkling her nose and flipping at her hair. "That makes it sound like I'm your rebound."

Snorting at the way Regina never seemed satisfied with the things he said, Robin reached forward and out of instinct, he grabbed her hand in his.

When she didn't pull her from his touch, he laced his fingers with hers and gave her a light squeeze.

It didn't feel as awkward as he would have thought.

"That's not the way it happened and you are definitely not my rebound. When I meet you, Marian and I were broken up for a long time already but I just tried to hold onto what we had; I mean I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to relationships and I kind of hoped that we could work things out. Specially since she was pregnant with Roland. But things didn't seem to get better and one good day we decided to split. It was just after that happened that we hooked up."

And that was all true; minus the hooking up with her of course. He and Marian had been struggling to keep their marriage afloat for the good part of the last couple of years and they even believed having a baby was going to be what glued them back together. It didn't work, and she always resented him for apparently not trying enough.

That was it, nothing more and nothing less.

Rolling her eyes but keeping her hand in his, Regina wrinkled her nose again. "I don't think she sees it that way, and I'm telling you, if she keep sending me those dirty looks I'm going straight to her and tell her a thing or two."

With that said, she grabbed the glass of wine with her free hand and drank from it.

Shaking his head in amazement to see this new side of her, he watched her intently. That woman was just impossible.

"So how was it that we meet?"

Shifting in his chair, Robin focused his attention on the woman sitting in front of him. He had already thought about this and he was actually surprised that she waited for so long to ask him.

"I meet you through a friend's girlfriend. They have this beach house where we get together every now and then and that time we just happened to be there at the same time."

"What was it that you called it, love at first sight?" She asked, using his own words.

Smiling, Robin shook his head. "Actually no; I mean I have to admit that the first time I saw you, I thought you were beyond beautiful, but quite honestly, you kind of had an attitude problem that rubbed me the wrong way and well, I don't want you to be mad at me but I thought you were kind of bitchy."

Chuckling, Regina rolled her eyes. She did, however, looked kind of amused. "Really? What did I do to make you think that?"

Not having to lie about the first impression he had of her, he shrugged. "Well I just saw you as this stuck up, spoiled woman that was too arrogant. You looked at everybody as if they were way down below you and you were just not really friendly."

"I acted like that with you too?"

"Yes, definitely yes." Sure, she has never tore him a new one as she has done Killian or most of the managers, but she has never been amicable either.

Shrugging and winking at him, Regina smiled unapologetically. "What can I say? You'll never see me playing it easy with a guy just because I think he looks good."

Arching an eyebrow, Robin took his hand away from hers and grabbed his own glass of wine to drink it. So, she thought he was good looking… that was very interesting.

The way he described her was pretty much the way she acted while they worked together so he never would have imagined she thought that about him.

"But you ended up marrying me so I guess that I was more than a good looking guy to you." He lied, watching through sparkling eyes as her own brown orbs were glued to his stare.

"I guess, so cheers to that." She said, lifting her wine glass up and then drinking.

The rest of the night went down smoothly. Marian left without him taking notice and what was even more amazing, Regina proved to be nice company.

Yes she asked a lot of questions about their 'wedding' and other trivial things, but as the wine kept flowing, she just started to talk to him in a more laid back manner and she even laughed at most of his lame attempts to humor her.

He was entranced, her laugh was rich, full and genuine and he kept trying to tear the sound out of her over and over again.

It was most definitely a different woman than the one he worked with, a woman that didn't look at him like he was below her standards and yeah, a woman that he didn't know existed.

Quite honestly, he was pretty much sure that she was drunk and feeling amused and a bit tipsy as well, he decided that they should call it a night.

The ride back home was full of chatter though, she told him that she hated being at the house, that she was tired of spending so much time on her own and she even confessed how was it that she ended up losing Tuck. She also wanted to know why wasn't she working. It didn't make sense to her that she was a stay at home wife.

On his part he promised her that he was taking her fishing the next day with him and that for a change, he was going to do a cookout for her.

She also decided during said talk that they should just go to Marian's house and demand she let them take Roland. It took a while to convince her that doing that wouldn't help them in court.

Overall it was a good night, even with his encounter with Marian.

"Why do we need to keep the dog here?" Regina asked once they stepped inside the house and the first thing that happened was that Tuck jumped to greet them.

"Because… he's still a puppy and I don't want him out. Come here boy." Her husband said, bending down and petting the one year old dog.

Humming, Regina walked pass them and headed upstairs. She spent too much time with Tuck as it was and even thought she was warming up to him already, she didn't feel like staying down with him. "He doesn't looks like a puppy, he's almost as big as me."

Once up and in the bedroom, she kicked her shoes off and breathed out. Truth be told, she kind of had too much wine at the restaurant and she was feeling a bit light headed. Not drunk; mind you, just a bit tipsy.

She just wanted to take a shower and go to bed.

"I'm bloody tired, I think I could sleep for two days straight." Robin said, walking into the bedroom and unbuttoning the top part off his shirt.

Regina watched him, her eyes narrowing. By then, she knew his night rituals and she just knew that even though he claimed to be tired, he was going to head out and either stay at the living room watching TV or out with Tuck.

"Do you mind helping me with this?" She asked before he would go, lifting her left arm a little so he could take a look at the zipper that held her dress together.

As if thinking about it for a second, Robin looked up to the ceiling and then he shrugged. "Sure."

Walking to her, he did as he was asked and once the zipper reached her hip, he smiled and looked at her eyes. "There it is."

Arching an eyebrow, Regina turned to him and catching him off guard, she kissed him on the lips. It was a chaste kiss, brief and soft as a butterfly touch.

Pulling his face an inch away, Robin licked his lips and blinked slowly. He wanted to ask her what she was doing, but the words got caught in his throat and instead he leaned forward and pecked her lips as well.

Much like that first contact, this kiss didn't last long and when he pulled away, his eyes meet hers in an instant.

Regina was looking back at him, the intensity of her brown eyes fixed on his. "Why don't we ever kiss?" She asked, straight to the point.

Clearing his throat, the blue eyed man scratched his jaw. That was a question he wasn't expecting. "I don't… you basically don't remember me and I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing myself on you. I don't want to pressure you into anything." He said in a whisper.

Closing the distance, her lips found his once again, her head tilting to the right and this time adding a bit of pressure into the kiss.

Now, this was a situation Robin didn't really want to be in because it was wrong in so many ways, but for some reason he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and as a response, Regina parted her lips for him.

It happened slowly, they shared a few open mouthed kisses and before he knew it, his tongue was brushing against hers.

Realizing what he was doing, he broke away, looking down at her with a frown on his face; but when her hands moved to his chest and started unbuttoning the rest of his shirt, he just let her do it.

It was as if he was living the moment in an out of body experience, he could see it happening but he couldn't do anything to stop it.

And he knew that he should put a stop to it, after all this was Regina, his boss… always so out of reach and above everyone and there he had her… and instead of pulling away as he should, the realization of who she was made it impossible for him to turn around and leave.

Feeling her hands sliding against his naked torso, Robin grabbed her face and leaning down, he kissed her.

He sneaked into her mouth, his tongue dancing against her own while his hands moved down to her waist so he could pull her closer to him.

Her response was a very satisfactory one, she was kissing him back and she even rose to her tip toes to circle his neck with her arm.

That was the moment where he heard Tuck and without stopping the kiss, he opened his eyes to find the dog looking at him. His head was tilted to the side and in Robin's mind, his canine eyes were full of reproach.

Lifting a hand and motioning him to go away Robin swirled Regina around, lifted her up a little and placed her on top of his dresser. That way, settled between her legs and closing his eyes again, he kept kissing her.

But Tuck wasn't giving up and startling him, he barked at him. He never barked.

"Close the door." Regina said against his lips, but instead of kissing him back, she slid her hand down between his legs and touched his hardness through his pants.

That right there was what made him react and almost jumping a feet away from her, he snorted.

What the bloody hell was he doing? This was Regina, a drunk Regina that thought she was married to him so the whole thing was wrong.

Besides he didn't even like her. Yes she was easy on the eyes and kissing her was more than pleasant, but she was just… she was Regina and she just touched his damn erection!

"I'll take him out, I'll be up in a minute." He said in a raspy whisper.

After saying that, he almost ran out of the bedroom and biting hard on her lips, Regina blinked in confusion.

What the hell just happened there?

Was she really making out with Robin? Because sure, the man could be her husband and all that, but without memory he was just a stranger and even thought she knew that, she has been basically ready to jump on his bones as if it was nothing.

Running a shaky hand through her hair, she slid down the dresser and made it to the door. Once there she closed it and locked it, hoping that once he came back, Robin wouldn't be able to get in.

True, he was not going to like that, not after she got him all hot and bothered like she did; but if what he said about not wanting to pressure her was true, he was going to leave her alone.

Luckily for her, Robin never made it back to the room and when she woke up the next morning, she found him sleeping on the living room, wearing the same clothes he has been wearing the previous night and with Tuck resting against him.

Not wanting to wake him up, Regina went outside with a huge mug of coffee and sat on the porch, thinking.

An hour after she got there, Robin walked out and said that he was going to go fishing with the dog.

That way and ignoring the promise he made about taking her along, he left.

Not that she minded, she wanted to use that time alone to see if she could remember something and who knew, since Robin told her where he worked last night, she could do a little research about that.

It didn't really help to find information about her own life but who knew, after all a man that made the kind of money he was making had to be known in some circles and in the internet, she could find anything…


	5. Chapter 5

"Well… I guess this is it, buddy." Blowing out a breath and running his fingers through his short hair, Robin said absentmindedly as he moved his head to the side to look at Tuck. "I don't even know how I let it get this far in the first place."

At those words, his four legged companion just looked at him in curiosity, not really knowing what he was talking about.

Not that it mattered, because as soon as Robin spoke, his clear blue eyes went back into staring at the lake extending in front of him and his mind travelled back to the phone conversation he just had.

The conversation has been with Regina's sister, Zelena; he has found the woman's number among the scarce people the COO maintained contact with outside her work environment and in that particular day, he decided to reply to a text message to let her know what was happening.

Now, that right there has been a very awkward moment even though he didn't get into too much detail; he just told her the part where Regina lost her memory and at the news, the woman told him that she was going to take the first flight she could to pick up her sister.

It made him wonder, because according to Belle, Regina wasn't that close with her family to begin with, but because that wasn't his problem he didn't put much thought into it.

He just knew that upon hearing that the woman was going to come for her sister, he felt a huge wave of relief hit him, after all he just did the right thing and maybe he could be absolved of that wild impulse that made him lie through his teeth to his boss…

But he also felt something deeper than relief, something stronger that didn't allow him to get rid of the guilt he was feeling, especially after the events of the previous night.

He hadn't been able to put his finger to it yet, he didn't even know if he should call it shame or regret, but whatever it was if felt like it was eating a hole in the pit of his stomach.

It was bad as he truly didn't know what got into him, what made his mind get so clouded with the situation he found himself into and as much thought as he had given it, he still didn't know what made him act that way.

Was it because he drank a bit too much wine? Or maybe because he found himself entranced by a side of his boss he never knew existed… or just because when a woman like her kissed you, you just kissed her back.

Lowering his eyes and chewing on the inside of his cheek, he wondered if it was shame… because if there was something he was sure of was that he spent the whole night unable to sleep, part of him wanting nothing more than going back to her and the other one trying to hold on tight to what was right.

His rational mind won, but he felt mentally exhausted and drained and that was why he ended up contacting her sister.

He was still confused about the whole thing and the only thing he was sure of was that Regina was going to kill him with her perfectly manicured fingers as soon as she realized what he did to her.

She could easily fire him too.

Not that he could blame her because he knew that he deserved everything he would get from her. So yes, he knew she was going to auto-combust in anger and that she was going to get off on him; but because he deserved that and more, he just had to take whatever it was to come.

It was karma, he made his own bed and now it was time to lay on it.

Clearing his throat, he shrugged. He has been sitting there for a while, thinking and preparing himself mentally for the confrontation that awaited him back home.

"Maybe I don't even have tell her; maybe I can just make sure not to return until she's far away from here. Let her sister deal with her… right?"

Snorting at his own cowardice, Robin shook his head and with a groan, he got to his feet. No, he needed to be the one telling her and he was going to do just that.

He wouldn't be at peace unless he did that so ending his fishing trip before it could even begin, he started to walk back to his car so he could make the drive back home.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Regina was still sitting on the porch. Her coffee was already gone and she was just sitting there, musing about what happened with Robin last night and wondering if he left without her because he was mad.

After all she did lock the door on him after getting him all hot and bothered and as a rule, men hated that.

Not that she should give a damn; if he really cared about her he had to understand that her lack of memory was making her feel confused and that she wasn't in a position to be messing things even more by sleeping with a man she didn't really know.

Sure, he could argue about them being married but at the end that was irrelevant; if she couldn't remember him, then to her he was nothing but a stranger.

But maybe all that could change, her idea of checking the internet for anything that could help her get her memory back was still in her mind and that's what she should do.

Hell, that was something she should have done a long time ago so she wasn't sure why she got the idea so late. Sure, for all she knew the computer in his office was password protected and she wouldn't be able to remember it, but the least she could do was try.

With that in mind and full of determination, she got to her feet and made it back into the house.

Once in, she walked straight into his office and sat behind the computer to turn it on. That's what she was doing when she heard a knock on the front door, waiting on the computer to start working.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, the brunette mumbled a complaint before taking in a deep breath. "What is it now?"

Sure, since she got into the house, this was the first time someone knocked on the door but that didn't mean that it annoyed her any less. No, quite the contrary, she didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment.

But at the same time it registered in her mind that whoever was knocking probably knew her and that could be good to her memory. Nodding at that possibility, she jumped to her feet and made it to the door.

Now, the last thing she expected when opening the door was for some strange looking man to smile a huge smile upon seeing her before darting forward to kiss both her cheeks.

"Regina, my darling! Long time no see."

Snarling her lips, she crossed her arms to her chest and arched an eyebrow. "And who are you?" She said curtly, wanting to know why the man was greeting her with such effusive familiarity.

Gasping a bit dramatically, the man did a double take and without waiting for an invitation in, he walked right into the living room. "What do you mean with that? It's me, Killian!"

Shrugging when the name didn't ring any bells, Regina placed her hand to her hip and eyed him down. This Killian was now sitting comfortably on her sofa, looking up at her with a stupid smile on his face.

"I don't remember you."

"Ah," Killian said while waving her off. "So Robin wasn't lying when he said you couldn't remember a thing. Who would have thought…"

Chewing on her lips, Regina tilted her head to the side. "And why would he lie about it?"

"No reason," He said while flashing her a grin. "But I don't know, I thought it was an excuse to keep you all by himself. You know how he gets when it comes to you."

"Actually I don't," She said as a matter of fact. All she knew about hers and her husband's relationship was that they weren't so close.

Last night has been the first time they really connected and that has been over a couple bottles of wine. Yes, they had a pleasant talk and she could say she really enjoyed herself with him, but look at how bad that ended so she didn't know what to think.

Arching an eyebrow, the man snorted. "Well to start the man is crazy about you; he has been since the moment you two got together and I couldn't imagine him leaving you here sans memory while he goes to work. Not that I blame him, I mean someone has to bring the money in, right?"

Staring him down in distrust, Regina said nothing. There was something about the man that she didn't quite like and a lot of things invaded her mind.

He knew something that she didn't…

"Talking about your husband, where is he?"

"He went fishing-" She started to say, meaning to add that he was going to be home soon. But before he could finish her sentence, Killian arched both his eyebrows and she shut her mouth.

"He left you here all alone while he went away all day long? What a bloody fool."

Clenching her jaw, her mind went on yet another direction. Like she didn't even know this man and she basically let him into her house without even knowing his intentions. "Maybe you should come back when he's here."

Tilting his head to the side, Killian breathed in. "You really, really can't remember a thing? No wonder Robin is going insane over this one." After saying that, he laughed in the same manner than a kid would laugh when he was telling an inside joke and Regina felt very uncomfortable about it.

"What's so funny about that?"

"No, no, no… there's nothing funny about it and I'm sorry that you are going through this; but I was just wondering how was our dear Robin coping with it. I mean I don't want to sound tacky but you two were always all over each other if you know what I mean and well, knowing Robin like I know him, I bet he's trying to play the good guy and thus he hasn't even touched you. I know because he's cranky ever since the accident and that can only mean one thing, that he's not getting any."

At those words, Regina lifted her head and pursed her lips. Killian was obviously talking about hers and Robin's sex live and that was something she didn't want to discuss. Least of all with the man.

But even though she wasn't going to add up to the conversation, what happened the night before came to mind and yes, it made her wonder if what he was saying held any truth to it. After all she couldn't deny that it felt more than good kissing and touching her husband and that if it hadn't been because of the dog's interruption, she would have let him do anything and everything.

"Anyway, I guess I'll try to catch Robin out at the lake so… I'll be seeing you later. Hopefully he will catch something big and he'll cook it for you, I mean maybe you need a romantic dinner to make you remember what made you fall head over heels with each other." With that said, the man stood up, made it to the door and left.

For a while Regina just stared after him, thinking on the things he said. Now, she knew she couldn't put any kind of trust in a guy she didn't know, but apparently that man knew more about her than what she was able to remember about her life. Robin did too, he probably knew things about her that no one else did and yet she couldn't get to fully trust him.

The only thing that she knew was that even if a little distant, Robin has been amazing to her ever since she got out of the hospital and she hadn't been exactly repaying in kind.

And maybe what Killian said was true… after all Robin did tell her that if they weren't closer was because he didn't want to pressure her into anything and that spoke volumes about his feelings.

Ah, but there she was thinking that he was cheating and for some reason, that made her feel guilty. He wasn't cheating, he was just respecting her.

Closing the door, Regina turned around and made it upstairs into the bedroom to take a shower and change. When that was done, her mind was a bit clearer and she decided that she was going to cook for him.

It was too early for a romantic dinner but he told her once that she was an amazing cook and that day she wanted to make it up to him with something she knew he loved, food. After the events of last night it was the least she could do.

With that in mind, she started to work; she was in the middle of that process when Robin and Tuck walked in, catching her off guard while she prepared the salad that was to accompany the main dish.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you so soon." She said, her tone more cheerful than anything she has used for him since ever.

At that tone, Robin frowned but he didn't give it too much thought. "Yeah, well I never got to get in the boat."

And he didn't, yes he made it to the lake but he just sat in the grass, thinking and making that phone call… and now it was time to break the news to her.

"Killian was here." Regina said before he could even start talking. She said it as if it was nothing while taking something that smelled deliciously out of the oven and placing it over the counter.

"What?" Robin said almost in terror, because if there was something he knew about his friend was that he was never up to any good.

As a response, Regina hummed and walked to him in bare feet, once close enough she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him right on the lips.

At the contact, Robin was a bit surprised, and when she pulled away he grabbed her face in his hands and looked straight into her warm eyes. "What was that for?"

Shrugging and rolling her eyes, she blew out a breath. "Can't a woman kiss her husband without being questioned about it?" With that being said, she gave him yet another kiss that he wasn't able to resist and even if his mind was yelling at him not to do it, he still did.

Sure, it was a chaste kiss, just their lips meting with the slightest of pressures, but it was still something he shouldn't have done.

Thankfully, Regina left it at that and pulling away, she turned on her heels and walked back into the kitchen. "Lunch will be ready soon, I'm going to take another shower and then we can-"

"Regina, I have to talk to you."

Wrinkling her nose and smiling a rare smile his way, she blinked. She looked like a mirage, her hair falling just past her shoulders in soft waves, her eyes staring deep into his with a glint he hadn't seen before and her face fresh of any make-up looked absolutely flawless. He even liked how she was simply dressed in faded jeans that hugged her curves perfectly, her feet bare and a shirt that looked to big for her to wear. He even believed it was his.

Yes, it was definitely his and at the realization he lifted a hand to run it through his hair.

It was definitely different from the image she carried around the office, but he liked it… maybe more than what he should.

"About what?" She said, taking him off his trance.

Clearing his throat, he let his hand drop to his side. "About us."

Now, when he said that, Regina looked away and bit on her lips, her smile dying in an instant.

"Look, I don't think there's an easy way to say this so I'll just say it as it is. We are not married; we never even dated and I'm pretty much sure that you disliked me since day one. We've never been anything more than co-workers… well actually you are my boss so… anyway, um when the hospital called after your accident I lied and said I was your husband. I don't know why I said it. It was wrong and reckless and I apologize."

There, he said it; he let it all out and in a weird kind of way he felt good. But at the same time, he was wondering if it has been a good idea to tell her while she was in the kitchen holding a knife.

"I talked to your sister earlier today and she'll pick you up soon, maybe tomorrow."

Swallowing hard, he watched as Regina remained stoic, her eyes glued to the salad she was just making and her jaw painfully clenched.

That was not the reaction he has been expecting, and for that same reason he started to get worried. He had expected her to get furious, but this was probably worse as she was probably calculating how to kill him and get away with it.

"This is your phone, it's unblock and your apartment's keys." He put them over the counter. "I'm going to leave now but you can stay here until your sister arrives. If for some reason you need anything you can reach to me, to my phone or to my parents, I'll be there… the number is in the address book in my office." Yeah, he has thought about it and while driving there, he decided that he was going to crash at his parent's place until Regina was gone.

It was the least he could do.

So, once that was said, he walked out the same way he came, leaving a confused Regina standing in his kitchen.


	6. Chapter 6

"You are so bloody stupid; I don't even know why I keep being friends with your stupid dumb arse."

Rolling his clear blue eyes at what his supposedly best friend just told to him on the phone, Robin Locksley shifted the weight of his body to his right foot and blew out another breath.

This was not the first time the man would blurt such unkind words at him and like all the previous times, Robin responded with silence. He just didn't want to talk about the subject anymore and let alone with Killian Jones.

No, it was bad enough that for the last week and a half he has been carrying a heavy bag full of guilt upon his shoulders to now have the man continuously nag him about the things he did or didn't do regarding the 'Regina situation' as well.

It was his fault though, he shouldn't have told him… or better yet, he shouldn't have made Regina believe that she was his wife.

"You should have your man card revoked too, you know."

Getting fed up with everything already, Robin tightened his grip on the cell phone and spoke. "Just drop it, okay." Now, his voice came out in a robotic kind of way but he was proud that at least he was able to keep under control his building temper.

Killian was being annoying to a point of being bothersome and there was only so much of it he was willing to take.

Now, as a response, his longtime friend laughed out loud. "Drop it? How can I… Robin, how can I drop it when I know that my best friend is a bloody wuss? I even went to her to help you smooth things over and all for what, for you to screw up and confess everything before getting your end away?"

Unable to help it, Robin lifted his face up and with his eyes fixed in the dark skies, he snorted bitterly. "And what did you expect me to do? Keep the lies forever? Oh no, I forgot; all you wanted me to do was take her into my bed and 'nail' her, right?"

At last that was the thing Killian kept repeating over and over again, that he couldn't understand how he has been unable to _shag_ her.

Wasn't that why he did it all? He would ask out of nowhere. Because according to him, making such an elaborate charade without any real purpose was just a lie he kept repeating, a lame lie he used instead of admitting once and for all that deep inside, what he has really wanted was take the boss lady into his bed.

Robin couldn't agree with that; lying to get laid was definitely not the way he operated and he wouldn't have been able to do it even if that would have been his intentions. In his mind it would be like rape and even though Killian would argue until exhaustion that it wouldn't have been like that, he just couldn't agree.

So yeah, in his mind telling Regina the truth was the best he could have done because being rational about it, he screwed up big time when it came to her so coming clean was the first step towards redemption.

As for his friend's way of thinking? He was wrong because he plain and simply wasn't interested in Regina that way; it was ridiculous that Killian would even suggest it because he knew how she was nothing but a frivolous, conceited woman with a huge complex of grandeur and that was far from compatible with the person that he was. He didn't even like her as a person so no, he just couldn't allow himself to want her…

Or at least that was what he has been trying to indoctrinate into his brain, that no, he wasn't even remotely interested in his boss as a woman.

But even though his mantra was reminding himself how much he didn't want her, he had to admit that even when she wasn't the most pleasant person walking the earth, the reality of everything was that keeping her away from her loved ones while she was vulnerable has been a low thing from him regardless of anything and now he honestly felt bad about it.

He didn't think, and that he wasn't paying the consequences of his actions kind of bothered him.

He still remembered that when he went back home once she was gone, he found himself surprised not to find his house burned to the ground or all his things torn to pieces; no, what he found was his kitchen the same way she left it, with food set over the oven and a salad that was never finished.

That was probably when he started to feel from bad to worse and to that day he hadn't been able to get rid of the feeling.

"I still can't believe you chickened out. I mean you had her right there, in your house and thinking that she was your wife! The least you should have done was let her fulfill her role completely. Think about it, just imagine it…"

"You are sick, mate. A bloody pervert." Robin said while running a hand down his face. He just didn't understand his friend's logic and wicked way of thinking.

"Oh I'm the bloody pervy? Who's the one that lied to her and brought her home to play house? Admit it, mate. I've seen the way you looked at her when the two of you were working together; you wanted her and right now, deep in your mind you regret that you didn't get a chance to go full monty with her."

Arching an eyebrow and snorting despite himself, Robin shook his head. "I've never looked at her with any other way that wasn't professional."

As he said that, out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman he was just talking about; she was walking out of the building she has been into and stepping out towards the parking lot. As she walked out, he couldn't help but to follow her progress with his stare.

Now, that he managed to get a glimpse of the COO that evening hadn't been a coincidence; no, he actually remained nearby because he knew she was going to eventually come out and he wanted to catch up to her.

Why did he do that? He still wasn't sure, but when he heard earlier that day while in the office that Regina Mills was in the building and in a meeting with the Board of Directors he has been both curious and anxious. He also felt like he needed to go and talk to her; maybe to apologize now that she was apparently back to normal.

"Listen, you can lie to anyone but me, mate. I know you and I just want you to open your eyes. Like it or not, deep inside you know you want her. And I get you, she's the kind of woman who incites that kind of reaction out of men and that's why I don't get how you blew it." Killian kept rambling, taking Robin out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, as much as I would love this oh so lovely chat with you to drag into eternity, I have to go."

"Did you just hear me? You wasted a one of a lifetime opportunity and you don't bloody see it!"

"Shut up." He said, before hanging up. He didn't want Regina to leave before he could go to her so he hurried after her.

Now true, for all he knew apologizing could prove to be pointless and a big mistake, but he couldn't keep his mind at peace knowing that he still owed her a sincere apology. And yes, he could argue with himself about how he already told her how sorry he was, but that was when she was still without her memory so it basically didn't count.

But now he had a chance to apologize face to face before having to leave for a short business trip next morning so following his instinct while keeping a safe distance, he followed Regina to her car.

'Whatever would happen let it happen now', with that in mind he inhaled deeply into the cold air of the night and then he blew out a breath.

Now, the woman's car was at the farthest corner of the open parking lot; thing that he found oddly weird since she had a designated parking space close to the entrance. She didn't use that space, meaning that if she decided to kill him right then and there, no one would know.

"Statistically speaking, most attacks on women occur in lonely parking lots as this one so you know, you should really consider parking in a closer spot next time." Robin said dumbly when the black haired beauty was trying to open the car and probably startled, she dropped the key into the pavement before looking back to shoot him an icy-cold glare. "Hey."

Clenching her jaw and obviously tensing, Regina eyes found his and she snorted incredulously. "You have a lot of nerve to come here and talk to me, Locksley." Her voice was steady and firm and once her words were said, she lifted her chin defiantly at him.

She looked stunning, flawless like always and the scent of her perfume was more than alluring, but the cold look in her eyes and the petulant manner in which her lips pursed at the sight of him made Robin remember who she really was.

That was something he couldn't overlook, because as nice as her outsides were for all his senses, the truth was that the woman was capable of crushing him without even lifting a finger. She could have him fired or worse, she could file a police report on him that would mess his chances of advancing in his custody case.

True, if she did he would have to take it because when it came to her, he really messed up.

Clearing his throat, he pursed his lips while keeping his eyes on her. "I know, I just… I won't take much of your time, I just wanted to come here and apologize." He said, trying to keep his eyes focused.

Licking her lips, Regina looked momentarily to her shoes and then she turned her back to him so she could open the door. The only problem was that the car was still locked and the key lying somewhere in the ground.

Mumbling something he couldn't quite understand, she turned around and tried to find the key. Robin saw her do it and having spotted the silver object before she was able to do it herself, he bent down to pick it up and give it to her.

"Here-" He said, extending his hand so that she could take it.

As he did that, Regina's eyes got caught up with his and they flickered, then before he knew it her hand shoot up and she hit him across the face. "Just who do you think you are? You can't… do what you did just like that. You had no right."

She hissed, her voice low in her throat, her teeth clenched and her face flushed in anger. On his part, Robin just remained there, the muscles of his jaw all tensed up and his eyes on her. "I'm sorry. I know a simple sorry won't cut it, but still… I shouldn't have done it."

Now, his words were sincere, but at the same time he couldn't help but to think on the things Killian said about him wanting her.

Could it be true? He remembered the time they kissed in his room to the most minimal detail and that bothered him. Even when he would refuse to admit it out loud because it made him feel guilty, the truth was that he enjoyed it more that what he should have and yes, he has thought about that moment and quite a lot.

Sometimes when he lay in a bed close to a pillow that still had her scent, he would wonder about what would have happened if things would have run a different course that night and yes, more often than not, his mind would get stuck in the way she responded to him.

He had every detail of it in his mind, from how pleasant her lips were, to how her body felt so close ho him and how she boldly touched him. If it hadn't been because of how Tuck kept interrupting, who knows what would have happened between them.

Just to think about it made him shudder. But no, as good as that felt it has been a mistake. She had a little too much to drink, she had no memory and things shouldn't have gone so far. He shouldn't had let them get that farm

But what could he say on his defense? He was simply a man and she was a woman like no other he has met and he apparently wasn't as immune to her charms as he liked to believe. She was way out of his league though, which was probably why he couldn't keep her out of his mind. But even while knowing that, he couldn't help but to feel curious about her… about the woman he was just getting to know, the one that would cook for him and kiss him just when she felt like it vs the one standing in front of him, the COO, cold, distant and so out of reach.

"I know that what I did was bloody awful but I hope that one day you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. I sincerely held no ill intention, I was just being stupid and clearly not thinking about the repercussions everything could have on both you and me."

At that last statement, Regina opened her mouth to reply but instead of words, a bitter chuckle escaped her. After that she said nothing, she just hit him again.

The smack stung and it made his face jerk to the left, but at the same time he probably deserved it worse so he took it.

"That's what I think of your apology. Now get out of my sight because I swear that if you don't I'll go back there and make them fire you."

Robin nodded. That he wasn't out of a job already was something he really didn't understand. "Why haven't you? Getting me fired I mean, after all you have all the means to do so."

"I do, don't you forget it."

Knowing that he should take that as his cue to leave and forget about the whole thing but unable to, he ran a hand down his face and sighed. "Does that means you won't resign?"

"Let me make something very clear with you here, what I do is not of your concern. Don't forget your place." She replied coldly, but she made no attempt of getting her keys or to move.

At her response he bit on his lips, but as he did that he couldn't help but to think that he has seen worse from her for a hell of a lot less.

She was infamously known for chewing on people's arses so no, she wasn't acting with him as nasty as he has seen her act and that too bothered him. He deserved more than a couple of smacks to the face and that he wasn't getting what he should have coming wasn't helping him feel any better.

Maybe he needed her to get off on him, to get it off her chest so that he could start moving on from the mess he created. Not that he wanted to be out of a job, obviously, after all he has busted his ass off for the company as well. But getting nothing for what he did was getting it too easy and he knew that shouldn't be the way.

"Regina-" He started to say but as if listening to her name prompted her to react, she yanked the keys from his hold and snarled her lips.

"What part of get out my face didn't you get. I don't want to see-"

Before she could finish talking, Robin was moved by a force that he couldn't recognize as coming from himself and he sprung forward, circling an arm to her waist and then bringing her to him so that he could kiss her.

It was weird… almost like an out of body experience where he could see himself pulling her to him and kissing her. His lips pressed insistently against hers without reservation, his teeth tugging at her lips without shame and his tongue invading her mouth without any sense or wrongdoing.

It was just… he didn't know why he was doing it. To make her mad and thus provoke a real reaction out of her? Because ever since his eyes fell on her he hadn't been able not to notice how her mouth seemed to be inviting him or just because he was an asshole? He wasn't sure, all he knew was that it felt too damn good for him to pull away just yet.

And the best part? For all her talk Regina was kissing him back. She wasn't trying to bite his tongue off, she wasn't trying to rip his eyes out of its sockets with her perfectly manicured fingers and her hands were not beating on his chest as a way to make him stop. No, her tongue was moving along with his curious one as her hands came to rest on his stomach.

In that moment, Robin couldn't think about anything that wasn't based on pure sensation and when he realized that he had her pinned against her car he tried to shake his head from all fussiness.

It was a bit hard though, with her body molding perfectly against his and the kiss becoming more intense and profound, he just couldn't think straight.

It was surreal, but holding onto the moment he buried a hand into her hair and kissed her even deeper if it was possible. It was something he never would have imagined possible now that her memory was back and that it was happening made no sense.

He was kissing her, and even though she knew who she was already, she was kissing him back.

But then, Regina apparently got all her senses back in place and pushing him away with all her might, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Do that one more time and you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You don't get to play anymore games with me so consider yourself warned."

Staring at her with his sparkling eyes, Robin nodded, a mixture of guilt and confusion clouding his head. "Fine, I won't bother you anymore." He said, turning around and moving away from her without turning back.

Regina just watched him, both flustered and mad. She was mad at him, obviously but more than that she was furious with herself.

Why the hell did she gave him the liberty of kissing her? And what was worse, how come she ended up kissing him back?

Oh but that wasn't going to be the end of it; no… and as she watched him leave she decided that yes, things between her and Locksley were not going to stay there; no. She would get back at him and she just got an idea of how… what he did to her was personal so maybe it was time to teach him a lesson in kind.

She wasn't a woman to mess up with and she was going to hurt him were it would hurt him more.


	7. Chapter 7

Walking with all the confidence in the world and with a sly smile gracing the soft features of her face, Regina Mills lifted a hand up in the air and adjusted her brand new designer sunglasses over the bridge of her nose so that the sun wouldn't bother her eyes.

As she did that, she could feel the elderly woman walking with unsecure steps after her and her smile got even bigger. "Mom… I mean you don't mind if I call you like that, right?"

The woman didn't reply to the insolent question and when Regina turned around to face her, she saw that her mouth was open as if to talk but still, no word was coming out. She looked lost, almost uncertain and Regina had to bite hard on her lips to prevent a laugh to escape her rosy colored mouth.

Managing to hold her act together, she just breathed in and then she smiled again. That she couldn't help because the truth was that she was loving it all. Seeing that lost look in the woman's face made her mission feel almost complete.

"Anyway," She said in an arrogant tone while flipping at her hair. "Robin will come home from his business trip in a day or two so why don't you all come over? He is always talking about you and how much he misses getting together with you so it will be nice to give him the surprise. I'll cook for everyone, he'll love that even better."

"Yeah, that would be nice; as it's obvious that we have a lot to catch up with Robin." That wasn't the woman talking, it was John, or little John as apparently he was known, he was her fake husband's brother and the tone of his voice wasn't a pleasant one.

Regina couldn't care less about his tone or his words; he wasn't important anyway. This was the last time she was going to mingle with the Locksley family and she just needed to keep her act for a while longer.

"Then it's a date, all of you with us in two days." Rolling her eyes, she walked to the woman and kissed both her cheeks. "Mom… bye John;" With that said, she swirled expertly on her feet and snapped her fingers. "Come on Tuck, it's time to get home."

Barking in excitement, the dog followed her and she was glad, as it wouldn't be good for the beast to blow up her cover and act as if he didn't even know her. But no, fortunately… or unfortunately, the two of them had spent a lot of time together in the not so distant past and she was no stranger to him.

So with the dog following and then getting into Robin's car, Regina waved at her fake in-laws as they remained staring after her, then she drove away.

"So this is it, Robin. Now you will learn not to mess with me."

As she said that, Tuck barked at her once again and quirking her lips into a grimace, the brunette grunted.

"Ugh, now you be quiet and be a good dog and I promise to find a nice place for you to stay." Because no, she didn't pick the dog to take him home as she told Robin's mother. No, if she went there for him it was because she knew that taking the dog was basically stabbing Robin where he would bleed the most and her motives were screaming retribution.

Yes, she remembered the time she unintentionally let the dog out of the house and he ran away; she could recall as if it was the day before the way Robin almost went crazy looking for him and why not, she remembered even more the guilt that had consumed her whole for days.

Thinking about that was what gave her the idea of taking the dog, and since she has taken a spare key of his house before leaving for good without him knowing, getting into his garage and taking his car to drive it into his parent's place had been easy. Fooling them into believing she was the new wife? That has been trickier but equally successful.

True, she had to use a lot of her wit to make her words believable, but at the end they swallowed all of what she said and they were even resenting Robin for keeping his new marriage away from them.

Now, was that low? Yes, but it could have been worse. She could have get him fire, file a police report or worse, use his son in some kind of way to get back at him so he had to be thankful that she was only taking the dog.

He just had it coming, he had it a long time coming. For days she had sat back and done nothing and by then she couldn't take it anymore. The memory of what he did… it was boiling inside of her and if she didn't act on the anger she was feeling, she was going to explode.

Robin had no right to do what he did to her and she needed to make him pay.

It was like some liked said, payback was a bitch and so was she…

XxXxXxXxX

Robin heard his phone ringing as soon as he walked out of the shower, but as he would often do, he didn't rush to answer it. Why hurry? He just waited until he was sitting over the bed in his hotel room so he could start looking around for the small device.

He found it resting against his pillow and after looking at the screen to see who it was, he lifted it up and answered it with a smile on his face. "Hey, what's up, Little John?"

"Hey, what's up dear brother?"

Robin chuckled at the way his brother just greeted him but he shrugged it off. "Not much, just laying low and working my arse off."

The youngest of his brothers just hummed and then went ahead. "Well I'm here with mum and we were wondering about this new term we heard, it's called lying by omission. Have you heard it?"

Frowning, Robin rested over his back and scratched underneath his jaw. "Um, yeah I've heard of it, why?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that your wife was here and well, after she left the term just somehow came out."

Closing his eyes, Robin snarled his lips and wondered what his ex-wife was trying to do now. He wouldn't put it pass her to go and try to brainwash his mother into thinking he was to blame for the end of their marriage; that woman would do anything and as it was, his mother was already upset with him because of the divorce.

Marian knew that… she knew his mom and she knew about her believes on marriage being forever so no, the woman going to her mom didn't sound good to his ears.

"And what did she want? Did she had Roland?" Could it be that she finally understood that his mother was also his boy's grandmother and that she also wanted to be a part of his life?

"No, Marian was not the one who came by, it was your other wife."

This time Robin snorted out loud and opened his clear blue eyes, confusion written all over them. "My other wife? What are you talking about?"

"Well you know, that wife of yours that smells like sin; the one with dark hair, pretty face, nice body and an attitude as if she owned the damn world? I think she introduced herself as Regina."

"What?" He blurted out as he automatically sat over the mattress. No, no, no and no… did he hear right, did his brother just told him that Regina was at her parents' house?

"Needless to say that mom is pretty upset. She is bawling her eyes out while telling dad about one of their sons marrying in Vegas without telling them he was even dating and worse yet, all of it so recently after divorcing his first wife. So yes, it's been a pretty hectic day here so expect a Locksley sermon coming your way soon."

Laughing without any kind of amusement whatsoever, he slapped a hand hard to his face and breathed in. "I should have seen this coming. God!" Oh, but it was his fault, as he should have seen the woman doing something as low as going to his mom to talk crap about him. He should have taken the way she has done nothing to get back at him as a clear indication that she was up to something nasty. "What did she say?"

"Basically, she just came to take Tuck and…"

"Wait, wait a moment there-" Robin said, his heart beating fast as a rush of adrenaline shook him from head to toe. "She took Tuck?"

"Yes she did, and she was also driving your car."

The little… slamming a fist to the mattress, Robin clenched his jaw as hard as he could and then he got up to his feet. He was getting angrier with every second that passed by and he didn't want to start a tirade against his brother.

"Look… I'll have to call you back in a few minutes." Hanging up and clenching his jaw, the blue eyed man started browsing through his phone and when he came upon her name in his contact list, he pressed the call button.

After three rings, she answered. "Mills speaking!"

Now, the first thing he noticed was that her voice was too pleasant and to him that only meant trouble. Regina was never pleasant… so this had to be part of her maquiavelik plan to get back at him.

"Where is he?" He rasped out dryly.

"Hello? Can't hear you..." Now, Regina used the same sweet tone to answer with that and tightening his grip on the phone, Robin swallowed hard down and shook his head.

"I'm not playing around here so tell me where is my dog!" His anger was rising, he could feel it taking over him so he took a deep breath to calm down a little. Going off on her wasn't going to be the solution… not while she had Tuck.

"Listen, Regina…" This time his voice came out softer as he knew that he needed to reason with her. "Just tell me where you are so I can go there and pick him."

"I can't hear, must be your reception." With that said, she hung up on him and Robin just remained there, with the phone glued to his ear and his mind racing.

By then he was pissed as hell, especially when he tried calling her back only to realize that she decided to turn off her phone so she wouldn't have to deal with him. It was okay though… as there were only two places in the world where she could be and he had access to both of them.

"I'll get you, Regina… and you are not going to get away with this."

(Next day)

There was nothing more satisfying in the entire world than the feeling of fulfillment you would get deep in your heart after getting even with someone that has done you great harm.

In Regina's case the feeling was bordering in exhilaration… in a way it was even rewarding and as her eyes drank on the image staring back at her through the mirror of her vanity, a smile formed on her lips and a content sigh blew out of her mouth.

Yes, ever since she managed to get an upper hand on Robin, she has been feeling extremely blithe and it showed in her spirits. She would smile with no reason at all, there was a surge of adrenaline wanting to break free from the bondage imposed by her flesh and she has even found herself whistling to a random tune as the day passed by.

Summed up, she was as happy as she could ever get and in her mind things couldn't get better than that… unless of course, she could somehow see the look on the man's face as he wondered in dismay what has become of his precious dog.

Snorting and rolling her eyes, she grabbed her moisturizing cream and started to apply it on her face.

Now yes, a lot of people could argue and condemn her doings because in their eyes, what she did was low and pure evil; but to her she was just doing what it was fair. Robin has messed with her when she was the most vulnerable and that was something she couldn't overlook.

If she would have let it pass, she wouldn't have been able to live in peace with herself and she couldn't let that happen. No, she needed her revenge and she'll be damned if she didn't enjoy it.

Sliding the tip of her fingers along her cheekbones and then up underneath her eyes, she tilted her head first to the left and then to the right, her eyes scrutinizing the work done on her skin while her mind reeled back to what she did.

"Robin… what's up that you stopped calling?" She mumbled the question under her breath, wondering once again about the reason why he ceased the numerous calls he has been making to her.

The last one has been that morning, he called demanding her to tell him the whereabouts of Tuck and like all the previous times, she faked being unable to hear him and hung up on him.

Could it be that he gave up in his intents? Somehow she didn't believe that so she needed to be very careful because that man was probably up to no good.

"But I won't let him get the upper hand on me this time; I'm the one in control now and he better get that into his head once and for all."

Pursing her lips petulantly and lifting an eyebrow, she sighed as her eyes kept inspecting her reflection. She just got out of the bathtub so her hair was pulled into a messy bun at the top of her head, her skin was fresh of any make-up and other than a silk robe she was wearing nothing, meaning that she needed to start the process of making herself presentable if she wanted to go out.

That was what she was about to start doing, but then, her phone started to ring and her hand automatically reached out for her iPhone.

"There you are." She said with a sly smile forming on her lips as she saw on the screen that it was him. She let it ring a couple of times though before finally answering it.

"Hello, who am I speaking with?" She asked, using the sultriest voice she could muster.

"I'm going to give you one last chance so tell me where is Tuck and I'll let things die here. There will be no hard feelings and we will both move on and forget all about this."

Listening to what he just said, Regina hummed and for the first time since he started calling, she decided to talk to him. "I don't know; you kept me in your house for a week so maybe I want to keep the little beast for that same amount of time… maybe a while longer."

"Well that's not going happen, as Tuck is coming back with me today so come on, tell me what did you do to him."

Now, Regina couldn't help but to notice that he sounded dead serious as he spoke and she had no doubt that in his mind he truly believed that she was going to be intimidated by his tone; but the thing was that she wasn't, not even a little bit.

"Listen, Locksley… drop the menacing tone and stop bothering me. When I decide to send the dog back to you I will do it in my own terms. Until then leave me alone or I may never want to give him back to you." Her words ended up with a smile from her lips and she even chuckled.

"Fine, let's do this my way then; just don't go saying that I didn't give you a choice to back out from this." With that said, he hung up on her.

Taking the phone away from her ear and staring at it in disbelief, Regina gasped. She just couldn't believe that he hung up on her. It was okay though… let him have his little victory as it was going to be a short lived one.

"You don't know who you messed up with, Robin." She said at last and then, putting the phone away, she tried to go back to that nice little place where revenge was sweet and rewarding…

But before her mind could reach that lovely place, the door to her bedroom slammed open and startled, she gasped as she almost fell off her seat.

"Okay, your little game is over so tell me all about it now. Where is he and what did you do with him?"

Feeling her heart beating painfully hard inside her chest and her eyes going as wide as they could go, Regina closed her hands into fists and clenched her jaw hard. "What the hell are you doing here?" And how did he get in?

Oh she was going to give hell to the building personal because she wasn't paying for security just so that he could break into her apartment as if he owned the damn place.

"You know what I'm doing here so just give me the dog. Once that's done I'll be on my way out."

His tone was harsh, his accent thick as ever and his eyes on her felt dangerous; he was mad, of that there was no question. The fire in his eyes talked anger at its finest and she suddenly realized that she was in a very vulnerable position. She was wearing next to nothing, she was on her own and well, Robin looked really mad. Still, she lifted her chin up and the corner of her lips twisted upward.

"Get out of here before I call security."

Taking a step further, Robin grabbed her iPhone. She tried to reach for it but he snatched it and put it in the back pocket of his pants.

"Get up." He commanded in a raspy growl as he watched her, she was still sitting in front of her vanity and she had no intention of getting up.

So in response, she sent him a look that felt as if it was mean to freeze him on the spot. "No; I don't have to do anything you say, who the hell do you think you are?"

Pursing his lips, the blue eyed man moved even closer, grabbed her arms and forced her up to her feet.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" The question came out indignantly and as if by instinct, she pushed him away. "Get your hands off and get out of my house now!"

"I'm not going to leave until I have what I came looking for so get dressed so we can have a proper discussion."

Feeling her face flush in anger, she tilted her chin up and shook her head.

"How did you get in here?"

"That doesn't matter, give me what's mine and I'll be out as soon as I came in."

Pursing her lips, the woman started to walk away from him, as she did so, she made sure the short robe was securely tied and not riding higher than what it should. "Well I'm sorry to inform you this, but it seems like you will have to go back the same way you came in right now because the dog is not here."

At that, he turned around and followed her. "Then you will have to take me to him so get dressed. The sooner we get going the better."

"Well… about that;" Regina licked her lips and swirled on her feet gracefully so she could face him. "You see, since the accident my head gets a little fussy and I tend to forget things and well, I kind of forgot where I left him."

"No you didn't, you know exactly where he is so stop playing dumb and tell me where the bloody hell I can find him." As he said that, Regina noticed that his words were full of venom and to her that was a clear indication that he got him, he was beyond mad, he was fuming.

Good, let him be mad, she thought. She was not going to have any kind of consideration towards him because he had none for her.

So, wanting to push his buttons even more, she faked out a gasp and covered her lips with her hand. "Robin… such a way to talk. I wonder what would your mother think if she found out how you talk to your loving wife. She's such a sweet lad…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Robin grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. The movement surprised her but she made no indication of that.

"Let's cut the bullshit right here, Regina. You are in all your right to be mad at me and I won't even try to talk you out of feeling that way; but whatever bad feelings there are between us should stay like that, between us so leave my family and my dog out of it."

Regina scoffed while looking defiantly deep into his stormy blue eyes. "I won't give him back to you, not until I feel like I got even with you and as things are looking, that is not going to happen any time soon. Maybe you should consider getting another pet."

His grip on her arm tightened and his jaw clenched hard. "No, no… that's not the way it's going to be-"

"It's going to be however I feel like it, or is it that you think that I'm going to let you get away with this? You kidnapped me, so be glad that I'm not putting you in jail for keeping me in your house against my will."

Robin smiled darkly and tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, and it would be your word against mine and let's face it, between the two of us, anyone with a little bit of sense in their brains will definitely believe me so let's not even go there. You are alone on this, you will always be alone in everything you do because the truth is that nobody can stand you."

At his words, her hand shoot up and landed hard against his face, leaving an angry red mark forming on his cheek. On his part, his smile just got wider.

"Did I strike a nerve?"

"Get out or I swear you'll never see your stupid dog again." She made it to hit him once again, but this time he saw it coming and he blocked the impact and even managed to swirl her around until her back was pressed hard against him.

That way, he held her close. "How did you turn into such a bitter woman? Look at you." He hissed angrily, grabbing her chin and lifting it up so that she could stare at her own reflection through the mirror. "You have everything you need to have it all; you have beauty, you have wits and you are a strong woman… and yet… you are so rotten deep within and that makes you damage goods."

Her jaw tensed up with his words but she forced herself to keep her eyes locked with his through the mirror. "You know nothing about me so don't speculate, I have everything I want to have and more."

"Do you really? Let's go back to the facts; I kept you in my house for a week and no one seemed to miss you; you were sent on a forced vacation and nobody cared enough to reach you and check you out so think about it, do you really have it all?"

That got to her, it really did, but she would be damned if she let him know so forcing out a smile, she looked for more confrontation.

That had always been one of her biggest flaws, she didn't know when to give up or shut up. She was the kind that would burn the damn house even if she was still inside and apparently that was what she was aiming for in that moment.

"I have everything I need; and as for me being damage goods? That's hardly accurate and you know it, I mean why make me believe I was your wife if not to take me into your bed. You even sent Jones to try to blindside me into it."

Robin snorted, shaking his head. "My intention was never to get you in my bed. You know I could have done it and in more than one occasion; but yet I didn't do it and you want to know why? Because I have principles and that makes me the better person between the two of us."

Regina blinked, and wanting to hurt him where she knew it would hurt the most, she shook her head. "No, Robin… you didn't do it because you are not man enough to take what you want; do you think I don't know how bad you want me? Because I do, just as I know that you would rather sit in your high horse and pass judgment on me than do what you really want to do. So no, you are not a better person than me, you are just better at denying things."

"Oh don't try to give me that crap because your cheap psychology is not going to work on me."

Snorting, the brunette bit on her lips. She was getting to him, she knew it and she was not going to rest until he was at mad as she was felling. "Maybe you are the one who is damage goods; I mean does this even work?" She asked, reaching behind her and pressing her palm to his groin. "Could that be the reason why your wife left you, because you didn't have what it took to keep her in your bed?"

Robin's face got a bit somber as he pushed the inside of his cheek with his tongue. For a while he said nothing, he just looked at her as if considering things and as he did that, Regina made sure to keep her hand rubbing him fully into life.

It was bold, it was wrong and yet she kept going at it.

It was definitely not the approach she should take and she knew it, but yeah, she wanted to burn the house down.

"Oh," He said at last. "And wouldn't you love to see how good it works? I mean that's what you have been looking forward, right?"

Quirking her lips, she shook her head. "Not really, I prefer a man who knows what to do with this."

As she said that, she gave him a final squeeze and then she dropped her hand away from his already hard member and tried to move away from him, but before she could get too far, he grabbed her waist and made her back up against a wall while he pressed hard against her.

"Not so fast, I'm not done with you just yet." Grabbing her hands, he lifted them up and pinned them over her head and with the movement, she felt her robe sliding up her thighs.

Swallowing on dry, her eyes moved up to his darkening ones and she used her tongue to moisten her lips. "Of course you are not, but I am done with you so let me go."

"You know, we can do this for hours so let's save us both from a night full of bickering back and forth and tell me where he is."

Regina shook her head once again. "I told you already, I forgot. It was a long journey and like I told you… I can't remember."

As she said that, one of his knees sneaked between her legs and she held her breath, waiting for a more intimate touch that never came. "And do you expect me to believe that?"

His voice as he said that was low, dark and alluring and she felt a liquid warm sensation settling on her lower stomach.

Now, Robin may never know it but a huge part of her anger came from the fact that she has never expected him to do what he did to her. Yes, they never exactly got along when they were working together but she could say that she liked him better than a lot of the other employees. He was efficient and reliable and she respected that, little did she know that he disliked her so much as to make such an elaborate plan against her.

And what was worse, she was angry because he did it without any apparent reason, he did it just because he could and she stupidly believed him; she ignored the feeling in her gut that screamed that there was something odd going on and she trusted him.

So yes, deep inside she was feeling betrayed, but at the same time she was trying to wrestle against an attraction she has started to feel towards him. So right in that moment, the anger was at full swing, but with his closeness, his scent invading her nostrils and his erection pressing insistently against her hip, the attraction was also there and it was overwhelming.

If anything, that made her feel even more angry because as much as she tried to, she couldn't ignore the feeling.

"And do you really think that holding me here will make me tell you about Tuck any sooner?"

He shrugged, settling his hands on her hips. "Probably not."

Regina lifted her head towards him, her eyes finding him looking into hers. "You are right, so if you ever want to see your precious dog again, you better take your hands off, now."

Robin hummed, but instead of moving his hands away, what he did was slide them down to her thighs before lifting them back up beneath the fabric of her robe. That way he lifted it up to her waist, leaving her exposed down below.

"Are you going to tell me where he is or not?"

Goosebumps started to form all over her skin and the spot where he was touching her felt as if it was on fire. But she was nothing if not stubborn so she stood her ground. "No."

At her response, Robin settled himself in a position where his erection was pressing right into her core and Regina had to bite down a gasp as he grabbed her hips to pull her closer.

What was going on and why wasn't she stopping him? He was stepping over the line.

"Tell me."

She shook her head no, holding strong into her resolution of keeping the dog's whereabouts a secret. But it was hard to keep a straight face when the roughness of his jeans rubbing against such a tender spot was alluring in a weird kind of way.

"Do you realize that I could have you right here, right now?" He asked, moving his face closer to her so that he could talk into her ear.

Regina closed her eyes and opened her mouth but no word came out. What was she supposed to say anyway? That she would let him do it, that she wouldn't put on a fight if he decided to do as he was saying?

No, she would never tell him that and no, she wouldn't let him do anything either. Not because she didn't want it but because in some weird kind of way she did, but because she didn't do well in playing on other people's terms.

"You would love that, wouldn't you?" He asked, pushing harder against her. That movement tore a gasp out of her and pulling his face back so that he could look at her, he smiled. "The bad news for you is that it won't happen, and not because I'm not man enough to do it, but because I don't want it. I don't want you, Regina, you can fool my body into believing I do but I really don't. Now hurry up and get dressed so that we can go and find my dog; I'll be waiting outside."

As he said that, he turned his back on her and walked out. He even closed the door on his way out and that made her blood boil in anger.

Grunting, she grabbed the first thing that her hands found and threw it against the door.

How did she lose her ground so quickly? How did she let him get the upper hand on her once again? And most importantly, how could she gain the upper hand again?


	8. Chapter 8

He was losing it. There was no other way to explain what just happened a minute ago in Regina's bedroom. One minute he busted in, having everything under control and within his power to have an upper hand over the situation and next thing he knew he just lost it.

The way he saw it he took an already awful situation and made it even worse, and now in the aftermatch of it all he couldn't understand how come that he screwed up so bad.

A part of him wanted to believe it has been the woman's fault because she certainly had the uncanny ability to push all his buttons like no one else he has ever met, including in that equation his ex-wife; but deep inside he knew he has been the one to blame for this one.

Hell, he has been the one to blame for everything that came out as a consequence of his lies so maybe this was karma coming back for him with a vengeance.

Now on top of everything he has done was what just happened, and he had nothing to excuse how he behaved back in that room either. She took his dog, true, but he almost assaulted her back in there.

No… not assault, everything that went on in there happened because she wanted to provoke him into action, that was the reason why she touched him the way she did, to make him react and he fell for it. Yes, he should have known better and instead he certainly didn't behave as he knew he should. He lost control and that was something he couldn't allow to happen ever again.

"Just what the bloody hell were you thinking?" He reproached himself in a whisper as he sat in a leather sofa in her living room, once the words were out he lowered his head in shame and cradled his face into his hands.

He remained like that for a while, willing his body to go back to normal while banning from his mind the memory of how her skin felt underneath his fingertips. Now, forgetting about it was going to be tricky because his body was still feeling the effects of her touch and because yeah, the alluring unique scent that clung to her was still invading all his senses. It had all been so recent and knowing she was still so close didn't help, but he needed to do it.

It was simple, what he did was not one of his proudest moments and he needed that to stick into his mind, he let anger overcome him but it was just that… as it turned out she had the talent to bring out the worse of him, and the really bad part of it all was that as much as he tried to ignore it, the truth was that he was still wrestling against all his instincts not to go back there and have her right where he had her, pinned against the wall and under his mercy.

Wrong as it may be, he was almost sure that she wouldn't object to it if only to shove it in his face later on and he could use the opportunity to show her not to play with fire unless she wanted to get burned. But even though the desire was there he just couldn't let himself be carried away like that.

No, it wasn't in his nature to have that kind of brutish reactions, especially when giving in meant falling into a trap set for him.

Not that the wild impulses that wanted to break off of him minded if it was all just a game for her, all of what that savage part of him wanted was to have her if it was only just one time.

Screw what happened next.

But no, he wasn't going to do that, what he needed do was focus on what was important at the moment and that was of course getting Tuck back and trying to come out of this one unscratched.

If at the end he could still walk out with both his dog and his job, better.

It was as he tried to figure out how to proceed now that he heard the door to her bedroom being opened, and at the sound of it he lifted his face just in time to see her walking out.

She was already dressed, impeccable as ever. Her hair was now hanging loose over her shoulders and her face was a stoic mask that gave nothing away. Anyone who hadn't witness the mess that occurred a while ago would have a hard time believing what happened just by looking at her and he wondered how she managed that.

In some weird kind of way he envied her because he was sure that he looked far from composed. But what could he say, they were not the same, what ran through his veins was blood and in her case, he was sure it was ice.

"Can we go now?" He asked standing up, but instead of waiting for a reply what he did was walk to the door to open it. It was only when he was under the doorframe that he ventured to look her way.

"Give me my phone." She demanded coldly. It was the tone she would use whenever she was at work and he decided that he needed to watch it. Back in her room her voice was dripping venom and the drastic change couldn't be good.

By that point he believed he had her almost figured out and dealing with her when she was angry was one thing; mad she was volatile and maybe even reckless and that made her mess up, but cooled off and collected? That was entirely another thing. With her mind clear she was calculating and that meant nothing but trouble.

"I'll give it to you as soon as you take me to Tuck."

"Fine, I'll write down the address for you."

Running a hand down his face, he hummed. "No, I'm not in the mood of you sending me off into a ghost direction. You are coming with me."

She blinked and her lips twitched as if only the thought of going with him disgusted her. He didn't let it bother him though and instead motioned her to walk out.

For a couple of seconds she remained in the same spot, unmoving and eyeing him down, but then she arched an eyebrow and swirling on her heels she reached for her handbag. Once in her hold she turned back to him and walked out the door.

"You're driving."

Running his tongue over his lips, Robin shook his head because there was definitely something devious running through her mind and maybe he was once again walking right into her little games.

But what other option did he have? If he wanted to be over with all of what was happening, he had to do it on her terms. That meant that he needed to keep his anger away.

The ball was in her court now and if he did anything to rile her up, it could end up costing him dearly, so enough of with acting without thinking.

Taking in a deep breath, he followed her to the elevator. The ride down was made in complete silence and that only added to his suspicious. It was awkward as well and he played with the idea of saying something to break it. But what could he say? He wasn't going to apologize because he still felt salty about what she did, not only to his dog but to his mother as well so no, apologizing would be him being insincere and she would definitely notice how fake it was.

Besides silence was better than the two of them being at each other's throats so he better leave things as they were.

Said silence followed them to his car and after breaking it to ask where to go, she limited herself to guide him out of the city. He deemed that as odd but who knew, she has been out of the city to go to his parents house so it was possible that she dropped the dog along the way.

He just hoped she at least had the decency to leave him somewhere safe.

That way, he drove for the good part of an hour, trying to convince himself that she was taking him the right way, but when he kept going until he found himself in the middle of a deserted road he had to speak up.

"Are you sure this is the way?" He leered at her in time to see her shrug.

"Well…" She began to say and then she snapped her fingers as if she just remembered something important. "Now that you mention it no, I'm not really sure."

Wrapping his fingers hard around the steering wheel, he bit into the inside of his cheek.

"You are not sure?" He kept his voice calm even when he felt like everything but calm.

"I told you, since the accident I have a really hard time remembering things. It's all still a little bit clouded inside my head."

Seeing through her lie but wanting to play nice, he nodded. "Alright. And what do you think will make you remember?"

"Nothing, it will either come to me or it won't. You know, I've been trying but at times I think I will never remember. I think I tied him up somewhere around here but then I have this really strong feeling that I gave him away to this little kid near my penthouse so who knows."

Taking in a deep breath, he took his eyes off the road and looked at her. She was sitting in the passenger seat of his car as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she was even putting some lipstick on and the anger that he felt made him have to hold on tight on his resolution of not going off on her.

It wasn't going to be easy, but he needed to keep a cool head. With that in mind, he pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car. "Then we better stay here until you remember." Yes, she would eventually grow bored of it and tell him. "I have all the time in the world so let's see if the fresh air helps you."

With that said he rolled down the windows and killed off the engine.

As a response Regina scoffed. "I'm sure you have all the time to sit here doing nothing, but unfortunately I have plans for tonight so why don't you take me back home and I'll let you know as soon as I remember?"

"Nah I think I'm okay here."

Her eyes met his and he held her gaze, it felt almost as a stare off contest that neither one wanted to lose and he was sure that if he played into it, they would spend an eternity waiting for the other to cave in.

That was something he didn't want to do so he decided to be the voice of reason in the situation.

"Look, I know we started with the wrong foot today."

"Just today?" She snorted. "_You_ started with the wrong foot the moment you decided to lie to me, the day you kidnapped me."

Pursing his lips he agreed because yes, everything that was going on was his fault. "You are right, I really messed things up and for that I apologize once again. But Regina, if we keep going around this, what will we accomplish? We will forever keep this never-ending circle of wanting to outdo the other and I don't know about you but I would rather end this right here."

"How very convenient for you." She replied coolly, and even though she looked composed, he noticed in her voice the slightest indication that she was still mad.

He could take a page out of her book and pry on that, but that would only lead to more wrong actions from both their parts and he didn't want to take that path. It was enough with what already happened at her place.

"I think we are both very capable of settling this in a rational way."

She shifted in her seat and took a position so that she could face him. "I think you can go to hell, how about that for being rational?"

Allowing his eyes to roam over the delicate features of her face, Robin couldn't help but to think and not for the first time that yes, she was really a beautiful woman, and it was such a shame that her attitude left so much to be desired. "Do you really have to be so infuriatingly stubborn?"

She shrugged. "Actually yes; now take me home before I really start to get annoyed."

"I'm not moving from here until you tell me where is my dog."

"So you are kidnapping me again?"

"Oh don't give me that, you know I'm not holding you against your will here."

She laughed at that but definitely not in amusement. "So I can just go. Is that what you are saying? Never mind that you broke into my home, stole my phone and dragged me to the middle of nowhere..."

Sensing that she was trying to set him into a trap of words, he clenched his jaw. If he said she couldn't go she could claim that he was indeed kidnapping her, but if he said she could go if she wanted to she might as well do that and that would leave the whereabouts of his dog unknown.

The way he saw it, it was a no win situation so he needed to be careful. With that in mind he moved his eyes away from her face and looked outside. Night was already upon them, like she said they were in the middle of nowhere and that limited her options of leaving. He doubted she would be foolish enough as to even attempt to do that so he decided to risk it.

"First of all I didn't drag you anywhere, you were the one who got the brilliant idea of getting us here. Second, yeah… if you want to leave then do it."

"Give me my phone then."

"That one will have to be a no. Not until I get Tuck back. That's not negotiable."

"Fine." With that said she turned and opened the door. Then she grabbed her things and walked out into the night.

"Oh come on." He grumbled when she slammed shut the door of his car. "Are we doing this now too?"

She didn't even bother to answer back to him and just kept walking. For several seconds he watched as she moved along the deserted road and sure, he wasn't going to lie, he was very tempted to start the car and drive away just to see what she would do then.

It would serve her well to take down a notch or two.

But as appealing as that was, doing it would only make things worse and that was something he couldn't afford. Now, he didn't leave, but he didn't go after her either.

Part of him wanted to, but at the same time he knew that going after her was giving her the win and that was what she wanted. Not that it mattered much, he doubted she would manage to go too far in those heels so he just sat back and decided to wait for her to be over with the hissy fit and come back.

Then, they could negotiate.

The only problem with that plan was that she kept going without turning back. She kept going until he lost track of her and that was the moment he realized that she wasn't coming back.

He said it himself, she was too bloody stubborn for her own good and even if it meant walking until her feet bleed, she was going to keep going.

"I swear this woman will be the end of me." Mumbling that under his breath, he started the car, put it on drive and moved in the direction she disappeared into.

He found her soon enough, and when he caught up with her he slowed down and tried to maintain her pace. "Don't be ridiculous and get in the car, Regina."

She didn't react to his words, instead she kept her chin tilted up and her gaze settled in the path ahead of her.

"Are you really going to make me go out there and make you get in?"

To that she did stop and turned to him. "Do it, I promise that would be the last thing you are going to do as a free man because I'll make sure you rot in jail if you lay a finger on me. So come on." She lifted her hands as if in an invitation and he chuckled.

"So I should just leave? Do you even realize how dangerous it is for a woman like you to be walking alone in the dark and in the middle of a deserted road? Are you really willing to put yourself at risk just to irk me?"

"You mean I could get kidnapped, isn't that what you are doing already?"

He scoffed because yes, he knew she was reckless when mad but now she was being irrational to the point it was dangerous. "No Regina, you could get kidnapped, raped and murdered and that's far from what I'm doing."

"So? According to you no one will even notice if I'm gone so who the hell cares. Now go and let me be." With that stated, she swirled on her heels and kept walking.

To that, he had to fight hard against the urge of slapping his face. Was she being serious?

Accelerating the car just enough so that he could cut in front of her, he blew out a breath and then put the vehicle on parking before walking out. Me moved towards her and only halted when he was in front of her.

"Alright, enough with this nonsense and get in the car."

"Are you going to make me?"

"If I have to yes; do whatever you want to do after, file a report, put me in jail or fire me if you will, but I won't let you here on your own so save us both the trouble, get a little bit of sense in that pretty head of yours and get in the bloody car now."

Letting his severe tone register in her brain, he watched as she remained mute while fixing her eyes on his. In that moment he wasn't sure what her silence meant or even the intense way that she was using to stare at him. Was she planning on murdering right there, was she considering doing what he told her to do or was it something else?

He couldn't recognize that she was kind of shocked, first because she wasn't used on people talking to her like that, let alone an employee, and second because he was apparently willing to risk retaliation in favor of getting her safe into the car.

That one took her aback and quite a lot.

But because she was stubborn to a fault and she didn't want to give him the victory, she folded her arms to her chest and shrugged. "I still won't let you know where's your dog."

He blinked slowly before opening the door to the passenger side of his car. "I won't say it again so you tell me what it's going to be."

Adopting a more than haughty demeanor, she rolled her eyes and got into the car. She didn't say anything as she did that, and when he got in he didn't say anything either. He just started the car and drove off.

He drove in silence, his mind swirling on how should he fix things because yes, he wasn't going to let Regina stranded in there but at the same time he needed to at least know Tuck was alright. He didn't ask though, he didn't want to push it.

Before he knew it, he arrived at his destination and when he pulled over, he felt rather than saw Regina turn to him.

"I'm sure I told you I wanted to get home, my home."

Nodding, he faced her. They were still inside the car and because he turned it off it was dark. He could barely see her but what he needed to say didn't need visuals.

"Listen, we are both cranky as hell and not really being rational. So let's get a good night sleep and talk about this tomorrow morning, with a clear head and like thinking adults."

Furrowing her brow, she snorted. "In your house, are you serious?"

"I'll take the couch, and you still have things here so you can get comfortable." Yes, when she left she didn't take any of the things he was basically forced to buy for her during their fake marriage and they would do for a night.

Now, was that a good idea? Hell no, and he knew it. But dropping her off at her place was worse so he hoped this one would work.

At least when he got out of the car she did as well and she even followed him into the house. Once in he mumbled something about how she could go ahead and settle into the master bedroom and not having to be told twice, she started going that way.

"Regina." He called after her when she was in the middle of the stairs and upon hearing his voice she looked down to him. "At least tell me he's safe."

For a few seconds she just looked at him, considering whether to tell him or not. "He's okay." After saying that she turned her head away and made it upstairs.

Feeling more than relieved and trusting that they could settle everything first thing in the morning, he did his own thing around the house. He took a shower in the guest's bathroom, grabbed something to eat and then settled himself in the couch.

It was while he was there, surfing through the channels as if in automatic and thinking about the mess he got himself into that she came down.

At first he was sure that she decided to keep bickering back and forth with him and he couldn't help but to lift a hand to his head so that he could run his nails absentmindedly through his short hair.

But she didn't come to fight him, he got that very clear when she approached barefoot and in one of the silk nightgowns she seemed to favor to sleep. No, it wasn't that; and it wasn't like he was so sure about what she wanted but when she closed the distance that separated them and lowered herself so she could straddle him, he took a pretty accurate guess.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked a bit perplexed, but as if they had a mind of their own his hands came to circle her waist.

"I'm giving you the opportunity of taking what you want. Will you take it?"

He blinked a couple of times, not quite registering what she meant. But again, his hands seemed to be very aware of the offer because they lowered to her thighs and then sneaked underneath the silk fabric so that he could hold her closer.

The feeling of her skin and the pressure of her body over him made him swallow on dry, but then, half aware that he shouldn't trust her, he leaned forward and captured her mouth with his.

He kissed her long and deep and she kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck and her hips rotating against him.

Gasping at the sensation and without letting go of her, he got to his feet and took her upstairs, once there he did as she offered, he took what he wanted, not caring about the consequences or the repercussions.

It wasn't until morning came and he woke up startled that he started to question what the hell was he thinking. Yes, the woman was enticing and it felt extraordinary to have her, to kiss her all over and feel her respond to him with abandon, but when he woke up to an empty bed he knew himself to be screwed.

Cussing underneath his breath and fighting against the sleepy feeling, he got to his feet, covered himself and hurried to look for her phone. He has left it down in his kitchen counter and now it wasn't there.

There was no sign of Regina either, just a note she apparently left besides his car keys. He grabbed it almost angrily, but when he read that she just wrote to him where was it that she left his dog, he frowned.

That was definitely not what he has been expecting and he felt wary to put his hopes on it being true. After all it wasn't in the woman to give up so easily, especially not after she scored another victory over him by enticing him into succumbing into her charms.

Still confused, he looked for his own phone with the intentions of calling her, but when he tried it the call went straight into her voicemail.

"What are you playing at now?" He mumbled, and as if in cue the phone started ring.

It wasn't her, it was Killian and he played with the idea of ignoring the call.

Grunting, he answered but he didn't do it in his most amicable tone. "What is it?"

"Mate, as it turns out you were worrying over nothing."

Not in the mood of talking in riddles, he breathed out. "Jones, I have to go and get my dog so go straight to the point."

The other man chuckled. "Why, I'm talking about Regina, all this time worrying about how she could fire you and it turns out that it was all for nothing."

Changing the phone to his left ear, Robin cleared his throat. "What do you mean?" He couldn't know about what just happened, now could he?

"Don't you check your emails? She came this morning and officially gave her resignation letter. They just sent an email informing us there is no COO, mate, so she's gone, she's finally really gone."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several months later...

The house was quiet. The only sound her ears could detect was that of the rain softly knocking on the crystal panes of her living room windows and as she sat in the dark, breathing into the silence and wrapping around her shoulders her favorite pashmina, Regina Mills couldn't help but to stare out absentmindedly through the wall's aperture.

She liked it when it rained, in her mind there was just something oddly calming about it that she always found appealing to all her senses. The scent of it, the cool breeze it would lift in the air so it could swirl like a lover's caress against her skin, the way it would clean everything it touched to wash it away.

Sure, enjoying that calmness differed greatly from the sumptuous and perhaps frivolous image stamped on her but the truth was that she just liked everything about it. She was only human after all and despite popular believe she did know how to take joy in the simple things.

Yes she loved her somehow high quality lifestyle and she wasn't even going to deny it, but when things would become too much she wouldn't hesitate on laying low.

Of course, that didn't mean that she was going to walk through the back door of her new house and step outside to get drenched like a lunatic; no, that would be stretching it too much so she was going to be content just by sitting there.

Being there was relaxing and as of late that was a luxury, so she was going to take what she could when she could.

With that thought in mind, she breathed in and snuggled into her sofa… wondering and not for the first time if instead of sitting there, if it wouldn't be better for her to take the little precious time she had for herself and sleep it off.

It sounded like a perfect thing to do, but at the same time it really wasn't that late and she wasn't sleepy. Last time she checked the hour the clock said it was ten minutes to eight o'clock so it was still early… even when it felt like it was past midnight.

Not that the hour mattered, in this new phase of her life, time to sleep was too precious to waste in things like watching the rain fall so maybe she should really move out of her sofa and go straight to bed.

It wasn't like she had anything better to do anyway, the almost nonexistent social life she used to enjoy was now dead and she wasn't in the mood of watching TV. In her mind she already treated herself by getting a long and warm bath and that was as good as it was going to get for her.

So yes, she should get some sleep because she would probably have to wake up in an hour or two and then God only knew when she would have another chance to get some rest.

Thinking about that but too comfortable to get up to her feet and drag herself towards her bedroom, the brunette clicked her tongue to her cheek and considered what would happen if she went to the kitchen instead and fixed for herself a huge mug of hot chocolate, would it keep her awake longer?

Before she could decide whether to do that or not, her phone started to ring and thinking that it was her sister once again, she rolled her eyes and picked up.

"What is it now?" She answered, hoping that Zelena would keep it simple because seriously, even though she and her big sister were starting to get along better than ever before, having her calling six times a day to check on her was getting simply annoying. But for a few extended seconds, her wish was kept unanswered because only silence came out of the other line. "Hello?"

"I'm outside, let me in."

As soon as she heard that voice and the cold tone that accompanied it, Regina felt her heart shrink to the size of a peanut inside her chest and she had to fight hard against the urge of hanging up and hope for him to go away. After all, all the lights of her house were turned off, her car was in the garage and there was no noise that could make him think that there was someone inside the house.

Hell, as far as she knew, he didn't even know where she lived so chances were that he was maybe standing out of her old penthouse?

Who knew? But if by some unknown reason he has been able to locate her, maybe she could refrain from hanging up on him and just tell him that she wasn't there.

"Who is this?" She asked even though she knew very well who he was, there was no way she couldn't recognize the accent that characterized him. But she needed to gain some time to collect her thoughts and that's why she asked.

"You know who I am so cut the playing dumb act."

"Look, this is not a good time-" Ignoring his words and the acrid tone that he used to tell them, Regina started to say in a low whisper as she lifted up her right hand to run it through her hair.

And it really wasn't the best of times… hell, she didn't think a good time would ever exist for this, especially if he already knew and she had a strong feeling that he did.

Why else would he be there? She has lost all contact with the man several months ago and she doubted he was now at her door because he was in the neighborhood and wanted to say hi.

But before she could finish talking, he interrupted her. "Open the door right now or I swear I'll come back with a court order first thing in the morning."

Biting hard on her lips, Regina scoffed at his audacity to threaten her. Who the hell did he still though he was? Besides no, she knew he couldn't come back with a court order that would force her to open her door to him. Sure, he could get one against her but not so he could enter; and for him to get such a thing would take him months.

And oh she could make it so hard for him to do so; she had resources, she had connections to the best lawyers money could buy and she could make the process very hard for him, so hard that he wouldn't even believe it.

But at the same time that a wicked part of her urged her to do just that, another one was telling her that if she did things that way, everything would only get worse and that she couldn't do that without dragging her name through the mud. So, using the rational part of her brain she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "I… um, give me a minute." With that she hung up.

Getting up to her feet with an eerie calm she wasn't feeling and with her heart beating frantically inside her chest, Regina made the slow progress to her door, moving one foot in front of the other as if she was walking the green mile. She did it without wanting to; feeling her hands trembling as she desperately clung to her pashmina.

Once standing in front of the wooden barrier that separated her from the man outside, the former COO held her breath and extending her arm she grabbed the knob and opened the door.

Now, the first thing she noticed was that Robin was there alright. He was standing out her door while trying to avoid the rain, a dark expression taking over his features and the intensity of his blue eyes scorching over her.

"Is it true?" He asked without wasting time in preambles, but before she could say or do something he just stepped into the house and started looking around. He did it without giving her more than a passing glance.

"Robin, just… wait." She called out for him once he was as far as the stairs.

But he didn't listen and just as if he owned the place, he went straight upstairs.

"Hey, you can't come in here like this, Robin!" Taken out of her trance by this sudden invasion to her house, Regina rushed after him, watching as he checked room after room until he came upon with the one he was looking for.

Once there, he walked inside and all Regina could do was watch from the door as he approached the crib to look at the sleeping baby resting inside of it. For a moment that felt like an eternity, he just stood there and as he observed the eight days old creature that definitely had not only his hair but his eyes as well, she closed her eyes and took in a deep long breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked through clenched teeth and even thought she wasn't watching, she was sure that he was now looking at her.

But she didn't have a good rational answer for that; she didn't tell him because she didn't want to and because in all honesty, she hoped he would never find out. But what could she say, this was a small world and apparently news traveled fast.

"Jesus, Regina." He hissed angrily and at the closeness of his voice she opened her eyes to find him there, two steps away from her and by the look on his face very, very mad. "Did you really think I wasn't going to find out? I mean seriously, why the bloody hell you didn't tell me?"

Tensing her jaw, Regina looked up at him defiantly and settled her eyes on his. "You are going to wake her up."

Without wasting a second, he grabbed her by the arm and not too gently, he made her step back until they were at a safe distance from the baby's room. "So tell me now, why did I have to find through others that you just gave birth to a child of mine?"

Snorting, she folded her arms to her chest defensibly. "Is that what you heard?" Because she found that to be highly inaccurate. "What makes you think she's even yours? Because I am certain you didn't hear people saying that."

What would he know, she could have adopted as easily as the baby could be another man's. It could even be an in vitro with a donor so that he was so sure rubbed her the wrong way.

"Well is she, is she mine?"

Her first instinct was to deny her daughter was his, but there was something in the intense way he was looking at her that prevented her from saying a word.

"Regina… I'm asking nice here so just tell me, please."

Clenching her jaw, she dragged a hand to her neck and using her fingernails, she scratched compulsively down along her skin. "She is… yours." Judging by her tone, the admission came out easy enough, but deep inside she felt antsy as hell.

He snorted, probably as an alternative not to cuss at her. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

As a response she just shrugged because she really didn't have an answer for that. At least not an entirely valid one. She didn't tell him because she was angry, because to a point she was selfish and sure, why don't admit it? because in her bitterness over everything that happened she didn't think he deserved to know.

That has been at least her initial motives, then as time passed she guessed she got used to the idea of having the baby on her own that she just banned Robin out of the equation.

"So is this it, I don't even get an answer?"

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Oh I see," Robin said in an un-amused chuckle. "So is this how you get back at me for what I did? For the love of God, Regina, I apologized about that and you were the one who didn't want to hear a word of it. I mean yes I understand if you didn't want to accept it but that doesn't give you the right to keep something like this from me."

Pursing her lips and crossing her arms up to her chest once again, Regina lowered her head and shrugged. She didn't keep the baby away from him as a way to get back at him… at least she didn't think so.

Did she have other good motives to do so? Not at all, as it happened, as soon as she found out she was pregnant she decided to keep the baby's father identity to herself.

If felt easier that way, she has been overseas, she was starting to get a foot ahead of herself and away from the life she left behind and besides, it was no secret that whatever kind of relationship she had with Robin was extremely messed up.

Letting him into her life even if it was because of the baby's sake felt like the recipe of disaster so she didn't even try.

As for the man himself… well, it wasn't like she has been keeping contact with him. She hadn't even heard of him since the night she walked out of his place and even though she was sure that she could contact him if she really wanted to, she decided not to do it.

None of them did, because it wasn't like he went out of his way to contact her either. Not that she blamed him because as stated before, theirs was a pretty messed up relationship.

Now yes, she was aware that keeping the baby from him was an irresponsible decision, but at the time she found out she didn't have any kind of plans of coming back to the States and she genuinely believed he would never find out.

And then when she decided that she wanted not only to come back but to give birth back in her Country, she cut away from everything that could lead him to her; she sold her penthouse in the city, evaded like a pest any mutual and bought a house in a nice secluded place so that she could raise her daughter in peace.

She wasn't even in the vicinity of Robin or the Company where she used to work so she really believed the chances of him finding out were slim to none.

She didn't understand how it was that he found out and so recently after the baby was born.

"Do you realize that if I call my lawyers I can take the custody for myself?"

Lifting her head to him and fixing her stormy chocolate colored eyes into his own blue orbs, Regina felt something very close to anger get hold of all her senses. Was he menacing to take her daughter away? If that was it he was on for a huge surprise because she would rather move out of the country and take the baby with her before he could even get a DNA test that would prove his paternity. "Is that a menace?"

"It's a warning, Regina, a warning for you to keep inside your mind so when I tell you what I want you to do, you'll do it without complaining."

Scoffing, she blinked a couple of times as she fixed her gaze on him. "Are you back into trying to manipulate me?" See, this was the reason she didn't want anything to do with him. To everyone he was just this amicable person who wouldn't hurt a fly, but she knew… she knew he wasn't the man everyone knew him to be, not even by a mile.

He liked to play his games and test the waters so she needed to keep her eyes open when it came to him.

She underestimated him once, but that was a mistake she couldn't afford now. "Can't say I'm surprised though, because that's the tune you like to play. Manipulating people at your convenience."

"No no no… don't try to turn this one on me because you know you were the one doing things wrong here, Regina. So, why don't you pack your things and the baby's? We have a long way ahead of us and I want to start now."


	10. Chapter 10

Searing with anger…

That was an expression that Robin Locksley was getting very familiar with and as he opened the door of the hotel room he just got, jaw painfully clenched and lips set into a hard line that spoke volumes of his sour mood, he was trying his very best not to let that anger sprout out of him in huge waves.

It was hard, he wasn't going to lie about it and he was actually surprised at the auto-control he has inflicted upon himself because if there was something he really wanted in that moment, it was to release that anger, to take it out of his system so he could be done feeling like that.

He didn't like being in such an acrid demeanor as it just didn't feel quite like himself.

But it was what it was; yes, he was as angry as he has ever been and he was in all his rights to be so, but he was also aware that he definitely shouldn't take his anger out on the woman walking behind him and that was why he was refraining.

Sure, she was the reason why he was feeling like he was feeling in the first place but in all honesty, he had to admit that everything that was happening was because at some point, he wasn't able to control his impulses when it came to her and now he had to sit and eat a banquet of consequences.

Not that he was justifying her, not at all. The sole memory of what she did to him was enough to set his blood to a boiling point and he was really, really mad at her.

She basically wanted to rob him out of the opportunity of knowing about his own daughter and that wasn't something that was easy for him to overlook. She hid from him during her entire pregnancy, she disappeared out of the map to give birth and if it wasn't because one good day he casually overheard a conversation that wasn't made for his ears, he would have never found out that she just had a daughter with him.

True, that the baby was his daughter wasn't exactly what he heard. Actually, what he heard has been more of a gossip kind of thing between Belle, who happened to be Regina's former assistant, and Snow.

He still didn't have the details all clear about how it was that Belle knew, but the fact was that she did and as it happened, he heard the woman mentioning it.

The newfound information had left him speechless and he remembered how he felt all the blood of his body draining down to his feet. It just took a couple of seconds for him to realize the meaning of it all, he felt it right in his gut since that moment and when he did a mental countdown, it all added up.

It was easy, last time he saw Regina has been the night they ended up sleeping together and since he was more than sure that they hadn't used any kind of protection, the deduction was not hard to make. Yes, he pulled out just in time, but in the heat of the moment he went back in after he believed to be done.

Apparently he hadn't been done after all… and that little act could have been the big _it_.

So, if that was the case and if his calculation was on point, all that has been close to nine months ago so yes, the baby was his. It couldn't be any other way unless he missed something as essential as Regina being with someone else at the same time their more than screwed up affair took place and he was pretty sure that she wasn't. That only left him as a potential father and the fact that she didn't even bother to tell him left him both confused and angry.

Ever since that moment there has been an awfully bitter taste in his mouth that he hadn't been able to wash down because even though he knew she was angry about what he did to her and even when he went as far as understanding her, in his book, keeping his daughter from him was taking things too far.

Maybe he saw it that way because he was a bit too naïve on her ways, but in his mind he couldn't understand how after the night they had she would pull something like that on him.

Call him stupid, but before she sneaked out on him, he had seen that night as some kind of breakthrough because it has been the most honest thing they had done.

Going back to that fateful night, he could say without a doubt that he enjoyed it a lot and what could he say? He was a man like any other and Regina… she was a gorgeous woman, imposing in some ways that could intimidate a lot of men and yes, being able to have her has been one hell of an experience. Her flesh underneath his touch, the taste of her in his mouth and her sultry way of talking to him in his ear were things he still remembered vividly.

That night there hadn't been any animosity or ill wills between them, just two beings acting on an attraction that has been brewing for some time.

There were no hidden agendas, it has been raw passion at it's finest. They gave onto each other with no inhibitions and he even saw it as some kind of a truce to cease hostility, the skin to skin contact a pact that couldn't be broken… so imagine his surprise when he woke up with her gone.

No, he didn't particularly like how they parted ways. He wasn't the type of man who favored hooking up just for the sake of it and well, apparently that was what it has been for her. They slept together and then she left for good, leaving him wondering what the hell happened and how screwed up everything was.

He had wanted to look for her, maybe even call her, but his pride didn't let him do it. His male ego has been fragile dealing with it so he decided to move on, he put all his focus on his son and his career and that was it.

Sure, every once in a while he thought about her and he wondered about what became of her, but even though she would sometimes invade his mind, he never had the guts to call her because really, she was the one who left and he didn't want to be the one bending backwards trying to fix things with her.

So he didn't call and because of that he didn't know anything about her for months, at least not until that day; the day he found out that she had a baby.

The rest was history; he managed to get the woman's address and now he was there, walking into a hotel room after spending the last three hours of his life between waiting for Regina to pack her things, driving to the airport and booking them into the next flight to back home.

Unfortunately, the departure wasn't until seven forty-five in the morning and since it was just after midnight, they had to wait.

Breathing in and exhaling through parted lips, Robin stepped into the room and turned on the lights, his head turning to the side so he could take a look at the woman who just walked in by him, heading straight to the bed so she could place the sleeping baby right in the middle of the mattress.

Once the baby was set, she stood by the bed, folded her arms to her chest and sighed. "Is this why you took her out of her crib in the middle of the night, so you could have her in this hotel room?" She asked, eyeing him defiantly.

As he stood by the door, Robin noticed that with her lips pursed petulantly and her eyes shooting poisonous darts directly at him, Regina was looking as mad as he was feeling.

Right in that moment, he wanted to tell her that if it wasn't for the fact that she hid the baby from him in the first place, he wouldn't be doing that. But he didn't say that; he didn't say anything because he knew that his words would only make things worse and that was the last thing they both needed.

So, biting hard on his tongue, he closed the door, walked in and put the baby's bag over the desk.

"Why do you want us to go with you?"

"I have a lawyer back home," He said in a hiss, walking closer until he was standing right in front of her.

At his words, she snorted bitterly and shook her head. "No, forget it. You are crazy if you think I'll let you take her away from me."

Swallowing down and meeting her icy-cold stare with one of his own, the tall man blinked slowly and tilted his head to the side.

Without responding, he watched her for a while, thinking that it was amazing how much animosity they still had. Theirs was a messed up relationship since the very beginning and apparently, the night they spent together did nothing to help matters.

"I don't want to take her away from you, Regina."

Pursing her lips without taking her eyes away from him, the brunette woman arched an eyebrow. She seemed a bit confused by what he said and for some reason that bothered him. "Then why are you taking me to a lawyer?"

"I want to inscribe her as my daughter. I'm going to assume you already have her birth certificate and that it doesn't say my name anywhere in the paper; I want to change that. I also want visitations and I want to take her home whenever I feel like it…"

Shaking her head no, Regina blinked a couple of times. "She's too little to be traveling back and forth."

Licking his upper front teeth, Robin eyed the former COO down. "I have rights, I just found out about her and I'm… I missed enough already as it is and I'm not willing to miss more just because you are still mad at me. I just want what's best for her."

Regina scoffed at that and rolled her eyes. "And how is taking her out in the middle of the night and across the country the best for her?"

"She's my daughter!"

Shrugging indifferently, she blew out a breath. "I'm not going with you, forget it."

"Of course you will." Robin said sure of himself. She was going with him even if he had to drag her to the plane and tie her down to her seat; even if he had to menace her once again with taking the baby away. "Look, I don't want to settle this in a tribunal so let's just…"

"Of course you do! You already put a lawyer on me."

"I'm not putting a lawyer on you." He said, trying to reason with her on good terms. "And I definitely don't want to take the baby from you; what I want is to settle this like it's supposed to be done. I get my rights and you'll get yours. This way you'll also get child support for the baby."

"She doesn't need your money; she's been doing fine, without you and she will continue to be so."

"For the love of God, Regina; why do you have to be so bloody stubborn?" He hissed not to wake the baby and then he chuckled. "You are acting as if I was the bad guy here and you know I'm not."

To that Regina said nothing and wanting to change the pace of their argument for the sake of their baby, he took a step closer to her and placed his hand to the back of her head.

She didn't protest the touch and sighing out in relief, Robin tilted her head up towards him.

Regina… she didn't know it but she was the woman that has taken all his sanity away. She had the ability of making him do the unimaginable and even though he didn't understand it, he hadn't been able to completely ban her from his thoughts.

"Look, I know you are still mad at me and I don't blame you. I was a jerk and I don't expect you to forgive me. And yeah, I'm mad at you for keeping this away from me… but now we have a child so why don't we try to get along and let the past stay in the past?"

Blinking, she chewed on her bottom lip. "I can't." There was no anger in her voice and her eyes softened.

Moved by a wild impulse, the blue eyed man took that opportunity to lean a bit closer and he just pressed his lips to hers. He didn't know why he did it, he just saw her so close and before he could think about it he was kissing her.

A long time had passed by since the last time he had kissed her and even though this was just a light touch of lips, he found that her lips were still as soft as he remembered.

And she wasn't pushing away. Sure, she wasn't pulling him closer or kissing him back but she wasn't pushing him off.

"Regina-" He whispered against her lips and breaking out of her trance, she moved her face from him and stepped back.

He watched as she turned around towards the bed to check on the baby. "We'll go with you. But this won't change anything between us. We'll get her last name changed and you'll get your visitations but that's it. She won't be traveling back and forth so if you want you want to see her, you'll have to come here until she's older. That's final and not debatable. Also, you kiss me once again and you will regret it more than anything."

Licking his lips and tasting her lips gloss on them, Robin nodded. "Alright, that's good… for now…"

**XxXxXxX**

Regina woke up to the distinct feeling that she was lost. It was a weird feeling, one that was very similar to the way she would wake up from a nightmare when she was a little girl. Heart beating hard and unsteadily against her ribs, sleepy eyes opening abruptly only to find darkness surrounding her and her body acting on an impulse and sitting upright over the bed.

It was as if her own mind had forced her out of her sleep to warn her that something was wrong… something that she still couldn't quite get… something that was missing.

Lifting her shaking hands up against her forehead, she realized that she was disoriented so running her fingers through her hair, she took a look around. By then her eyes were getting used to the darkness and while she looked around, only one thought started to dance in her mind.

She was not in the comforts of her own bedroom.

Blinking slowly and dropping her hand to her lap, she pursed her lips, her mind running without a steady course until she finally remembered the events of the previous night.

Robin has gone to her house; somehow he found out about the baby and he went straight to look for her. Back in her house, he basically forced her to go with him with the menace that he could take the baby away from her and finding herself between the blade and the wall, she had no choice but to accept.

Now she was in a hotel, waiting for a flight so they could go and do whatever it was that he wanted them to do.

Closing her fist around the blanket and her mood getting sour at the memory of everything her former employee had put her through, she turned to the side to check on her daughter.

Now that her mind was clear, she remembered that she had put the sleeping newborn by her side and right between a few pillows so she wouldn't roll over her.

She did it because there was no crib in the hotel to put her in, deeming that it was the safest way for them to spend the rest of the night.

But when she turned around, she didn't see her baby. The pillows were there and the pink blanket that has been covering was there, but not her daughter.

Swallowing down a gasp and feeling as if her chest constricted hard against her heart, Regina jumped to her feet. The first thought to hit her mind was that somehow her daughter fell off the bed, but when she walked around the queen size bed she didn't see her.

For a second she stood frozen, her complexion getting pale and her breathing stopping.

It was impossible for a newborn to roll over the pillows like that, so what if Robin took her away? What if he waited until she fell asleep to steal her baby and take off without her…

"No,"

Turning on bare feet towards the door and feeling desperation starting to consume her inside out, the dark haired woman walked out of the master bedroom. Her intention: finding Robin and her daughter even if she had to walk all the way across the country.

And by God that if he pulled that one on her she was going to kill him with her own hands.

Fortunately, she didn't have to take such a long walk nor did she have to plan on ways to kill him, because as soon as she stepped into the small living room of the junior suite Robin got for them, he saw them.

He was sitting over the sofa and Sofia, their daughter was peacefully sleeping against his chest.

Breathing out a sigh of relief but at the same time feeling a rush of anger run down her spine, Regina blinked rapidly and walked towards him.

"What do you think you are doing?" She hissed angrily, making him look up to her before she helped herself to take the baby away from him and into her arms.

Then, without even giving him time to reply, she turned around and walked back into the room.

She couldn't explain it, but as she hugged Sofia to her chest she felt the sudden urge to cry, hit him and tell him a thing or two before taking off never to be seen again.

"What's with you now?"

Breathing in and carefully placing the baby in the middle of the mattress with the pillows surrounding her, Regina wiped at her eyes and then turned to him. He was standing by the door, his tall figure blocking the way out.

Watching him made her feel even angrier and she had to walk close to him so her words wouldn't wake the baby up. "Don't you ever do that again, do you hear me? Never."

Lifting his hands in the air, he snorted. "Do what? Comfort my daughter and put her back to sleep so you could rest the whole night?" He asked a bit too loud and then remembering himself he took a deep breath and swallowed down. "She was starting to cry. I couldn't sleep so I heard her and because you were passed out I decided to take care of her myself."

"You should have waked me up." She said defiantly, her lips pursing and her eyes critically scanning him over. "I'm her mother and…"

"And I'm her father, so I think I should be able to put her back to sleep without you freaking the bloody hell out." He whispered angrily, interrupting her while folding his arms up to his chest.

"Her father," She said while nodding. "You are right you are her father, but up until last night you didn't even know about her so next time you feel like acting like a good father, wake me up so I can take good care of her instead."

"Well I didn't know about her because you made sure not to mention it to me. If it was up to you, I wouldn't even know right now."

"You know, I don't need to do this and I don't need to go to anywhere with you. I'm out."

With that said, Regina turned around; but before she could take a step away from him he grabbed her by the arm and forced her to face him.

"Are you going to punish me your whole life about what happened?" He asked, his tone serious as his eyes delved deep into hers.

"I'm not punishing you."

"Of course you are; I can't even hold her without you thinking that I will choke her or that I will drop her in her head."

Refusing to feel guilty over the fact that she thought the man kidnapped the baby earlier on, Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Look, she's barely a week old and let's face it, you don't know anything about how to take care of her so of course I'm going to get worried. That she has your DNA doesn't mean that you will automatically know what she wants or needs."

"Yeah, I can get that that you are worried, but you seem to forget that I have a son so I do know how to take care of a baby. I also think to know you well enough to say that you were not worried, you were mad and it all goes back to what happened, to what I did."

Opening her eyes wide, Regina pushed the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "Okay, I'll say it. I'm still mad at you and that you apologized doesn't mean that I will all of a sudden forget what you did."

"Regina-"

"Save it, because quite honestly I don't want to hear it." She said closing her eyes once again and feeling tired of the whole thing already. She has spent too much of her time resenting him and she didn't want to waste another second on him.

"I won't save it; Look, I made a mistake and I know it. But if you would only-"

"Only what, forgive and forget? I can't do that. You played me for a fool and you did it knowing full well about the consequences." She scoffed. "Or was it that you believed I was going to find the whole thing cute and funny?"

Lowering his eyes, Robin shook his head and pursed his lips; however, he said nothing. He looked like a little kid being scolded and unable to help it, her mind went back to the night they spend together. She did however push that memory away as soon as it resurfaced.

"You say you made a mistake, well I did too. I trusted every word that you said to me and you took advantage of that, you played with me when I was most vulnerable and that's something I can't just forget."

Running a hand down his face, Robin blinked a few times before setting his eyes on hers. "If that's how you feel then why did you sleep with me?"

Shrugging and making sure her face remained a stoic mask, she thought about it. There was no easy answer to that because she wasn't even sure why she went for it.

Because she wanted it? Because when he showed enough concern about her well being above knowing the whereabouts of his dog it made her feel something she hadn't feel in a long time? Because even though it has all been a lie she had felt good about her life when she though she was his wife? She didn't know… and because of that she decided to play it safe.

"I had an itch and you scratched it. It was nothing more than that. Another mistake I made but hey, that one is on me so don't sweat it."

Yes, a mistake, because even though she loved her daughter more than anything else in the world, she wasn't particularly proud about bringing a little person into this world in such a messed up situation. Besides by being with him she has showed him that she wasn't necessarily immune to him and she didn't want him having that on her.

Look at what happened earlier on, he kissed her and she did nothing to stop him. Sure, she didn't encourage him either but she didn't push him away like she knew she should.

"I never wanted us to end like this, with so much bitterness." He said, keeping his eyes on hers. "I really didn't."

To that, she stepped back. "Me neither, but it is what it is." Shrugging, she pushed the door close in his face and then turned around to rest her back against it.

For a while she remained like that, imagining him at the other side, pressing his forehead against the door as well.

"Me neither…" She whispered, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath…


	11. Chapter 11

When Robin knocked on the door of Regina's house, he was a hundred percent sure that he wasn't going to be well received.

He knew because it was the same old tale every time he visited. In some weird kind of way it was even a routine that they had well established; a routine were he would take a flight halfway across the country and make it to her place so that he could spend the afternoon with his daughter.

As part of that almost predetermined pattern, his former boss would open the door with a stoic mask that said nothing and even thought she would let him inside the house, she would lead him straight towards the backyard where she had a small gazebo that came to be the place where she would bring the baby to him.

That has been their routine for the last ten months or so, and even though he was used to it, the frivolity of it all still bothered him to no end.

Yes, he could understand that she was still carrying a grudge against him and all that, but the truth was that he has been hoping that with time she would warm up to him as the father of her child and that once that happened, that she would allow him more liberties when it came to Sofia.

For instance, that he basically wasn't allowed into the house was something that definitely rubbed him the wrong way, not even Marian in her pettiness would pull that one on him and as if that wasn't bad enough, when he suggested that he should take Sofia back home with him so that he could interact more freely with her, the answer has been a rotund no.

According to her, their daughter was still too young to travel alone without her mother and at his response that she could go as well, she would refuse without giving it a real thought.

It was frustrating to a certain extent because now that he has been able to get a shared custody of his son Roland, he had to embark into yet another battle of wills regarding one of his kids, this time with Regina.

This one at least he was trying to settle outside the court house so he hoped she would see reason soon. Unlike his ex-wife who plain and simply had refused to let him see Roland, Regina had no problem letting him visit the baby whenever he would ask for it and when he mentioned that he would like his mother and his son to meet the baby, she told him to bring them along.

It has been an awkward visit because let's face it, after Regina went to his mother's house and basically lied to her, the older of the two women was a little salty. Not only with Regina, but with him as well for starting the whole mess. As it happened, coming clear with his mother had earned him the scolding of a lifetime.

But going back to what mattered, that Regina would let his family visit made him feel a bit too optimistic about his situation changing soon, especially now that Sofia was about to turn one so he really hoped he wouldn't end up disappointed.

He didn't think he would, because when he mentioned how he was starting to fix a bedroom for the girl at his house, she just hummed and told him he better not allow his dog upstairs into the girl's bedroom.

If anything, that was a good sign of how things could change soon so he tried not to be too pushy about the matter.

Blowing out a breath, he knocked again. He knew Regina was there because before boarding his flight he texted her telling her that he would be there around noon and she texted him back with her mandatory 'okay'.

That was another thing that did bother him, that they barely talked. When he was back home he would text her pretty often to know about their daughter and she always replied, but their conversation was basically limited to text messages.

Other than that, their interaction was minimal and they only talked one on one when he was in her backyard and that wasn't much anyway. Sure, it was better than them arguing back and forth so he was going to take what he got and roll with it.

He definitely wanted more, but because he knew his hands to be tied, he kept a low profile and just took what he could.

Knocking again a bit harder, he narrowed his eyes. It was weird that Regina hadn't answer as of yet and he wondered if everything was alright. But then the dark haired opened the door, and even thought she was standing right in front of him, that didn't mean that he stopped wondering if things were alright.

That was because Regina wasn't looking so good, her hair was pulled up in a messy bun that was menacing to come undone at any given time, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glazy. Overall she didn't look quite like herself.

She looked far from the immaculate and somehow imposing woman he knew her to be and despite himself he frowned and felt a strong wave of concern wash over him.

"Are you alright?"

Turning on her heels and not minding his words of concern, the mother of his child walked inside the house and sat over a sofa in the spacious living room. "Sofia is in the play pen." She said absentmindedly, resting her head against the back of her sofa and closing her eyes. "She's fuzzy. All she wants to do is crawl all over the place and eat everything; when I put her in there she started throwing a tantrum."

Closing the door behind him and walking closer, Robin said nothing about the fact that this was probably the most Regina had interacted with him without him having to ask. No, he didn't mention it and just looked into the play pen to see that indeed, Sofia was standing there and peeking out to him. She did look kind of fuzzy, her eyes were glazy as her mom's, her little nose was red and there were dried tears in her cheeks.

"Momma." The girl mumbled extending her arms and Robin picked her up.

"Hey there," He whispered, bringing her closer and pressing his lips to her forehead. "What's that about you throwing a tantrum on mommy?" After saying that, he tickled her belly.

Giggling and showing him all of her four teeth, Sofia mumbled something he didn't quite understand.

"I know, I know…" He said, looking at Regina. Now that he was closer, he also noticed that she was looking a bit too pale and that there were dark circles under her eyes… clear sign that she was either tired or sick.

Seeing her like that made him go back in memory lane to several weeks ago when he came to visit his daughter and as it happened, Regina's sister was there.

He interacted with the woman more than he has interacted with Regina since finding out about the baby and among the many things the chatty woman told him, there were a couple of things that stood out and that to that day, were still stuck on his head.

First thing she mentioned was that he shouldn't blame Regina for being so stubborn because that was the way she grew up to be, it was their mother's fault she had said, as the woman did her best to mess them both up.

The second was that apparently, Regina was working nonstop in some kind of business from home and because she apparently was too proud to ask for help when it came to juggling both her job and the baby, she would stop by every once in a while to give her a hand.

He kept that information swirling in his mind and made sure to visit more often, ready for the woman to finally ask him take the baby for a while or even let him a little into her life, but she never asked or even talked about anything that wasn't baby related and no, he never saw any indication that she was struggling. At least not until now.

It made him both wonder and wish that he could do more than be a bystander when it came to the woman, close and yet so far away.

Chewing on his lips and fully aware now that she would never ask for help, he decided a different approach and just offered. "Why don't you go rest a bit, I'll keep an eye on her."

Opening her eyes, Regina frowned. "Are you sure you won't mind?"

A bit surprised that she didn't refuse the offer, Robin flashed her way a smile. "No, I don't mind."

Without having to be told twice, the former COO got to her feet and walked to him to kiss Sofia. As she did that, the scent of her shampoo invaded his senses and he remembered how the smell of her had remained in his bedsheets long after she was gone.

It was funny how the scent still felt so familiar.

"Alright… I just need an hour, okay?"

Fixing his eyes on her, Robin nodded and soon after, Regina was walking upstairs without looking back.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me today." He said, looking at his daughter and smiling.

That was going to be basically the first time he was going to be left alone with her for such a long time and he hoped that he would do alright. He had missed more than half of the first months with Roland so being already a father didn't fully made him an expert.

As for Sofia, sure, when he would come to visit, Regina would leave him alone with the little girl for short periods of time, but she would eventually go to them to change diapers, feed her or just to check if everything was fine.

Now it wasn't going to be so, it was all up to him.

But as it turned out, he didn't do that bad. What Sofia wanted was basically what her mom said, crawl and explore at will and because he let her do whatever she pleased, she was happy.

But then an hour passed by and another and another and without Regina showing signs of being alive, Sofia started to cry. He picked her up, he talked to her soothingly and he even tried to play, but with the baby still crying, he had no choice than to do what he needed to do.

He knew the deal, after all he had done it with Roland many times when he was able to.

Change the diaper, feed her and put her to sleep. Ah, but with Sofia being a girl he was a bit afraid to do something wrong; at the end he did relatively good and once the baby was sleeping in his arms, he took her upstairs to her room.

Once things were good, he meant to go to Regina and wake her up, after all he had to leave already, but when he walked into her room and saw her passed out on top of the covers, he started to get worried once again.

"Regina?" He whispered, walking into the room until he was standing close to the bed. "Hey, are you alright?"

She didn't seem alright, what she looked was sick. True, her hair was partially hiding her face but he could still take a peek at her flushed features.

She looked hot… like actually hot and as he leaned forward to brush his fingers to her face, he found out that she was burning. Apparently she was running a fever and a very high one.

Taking the liberty of sitting on the bed, he shook her up until she started to stir. Then he forced her up to a sitting position and grabbing her face in his hands, he brushed the hair that had escaped the elastic band on top of her head out of her face. "Hey,"

Opening her eyes to slits and then closing them again, the raven haired groaned. "Where's Sofia?"

"She's sleeping in her room. Regina, you are running one hell of a fever."

"I'm not feeling so good." She confessed, opening her eyes fully and staring into his own blue orbs.

Without taking his hand away from her, Robin caressed her cheek tenderly. He was worried, he just couldn't help it.

True, their relationship was strained at their best but she was the mother of his daughter and he just had to care. Besides she was Regina, and even with all the things they had gone through, she was the woman he just couldn't quite ban from his mind.

He didn't know why or how that came to be, but it was the truth. For several months he has been seeing her almost every week and even though her walls were up high when it came to him, he hadn't been able to kick the sense of longing he felt every time his eyes fell on her.

He had no right to feel that way, but it was what it was an there was nothing he could do about it. He just ignored it and kept going on.

"Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

"No, I just need to take a shower and I'll feel better."

Scoffing at her refusal, he moved his eyes to her full lips. As always, they looked more than inviting… but because that wasn't relevant he tried to focus on the situation at hand. "Are you always this bloody stubborn? Wait, don't even answer that as I think I know the answer."

Taking in a deep breath, Regina said nothing. By then, he could feel the heat radiating from her skin in huge waves and that automatically made him think back at how light she has been when he sat her up.

"Let me take you to the hospital."

"I'm fine…"

"No you are not."

"Don't argue with me, I know how I feel and I'm fine."

Sighing, he slid his fingers to her neck and just the fact that she didn't slap his hand away was a clear indication that she wasn't fine. "Since when are you feeling like this?"

Shrugging, Regina closed her eyes back again. "I don't know, yesterday I felt sore all over but it wasn't until today that I woke up like this."

"You know what, I'll stay here a while longer. But if the fever doesn't come down, I'll take you to the hospital even if I have to drag you there."

Nodding, Regina breathed out. "Alright, I'll just take a shower and fix something to eat. I'll feel better after that."

"No, you go ahead and take a shower and I'll get you something to eat. Until I say so, you are on a strictly bed rest, okay?"

Humming and her lips curving into something that resembled a smile, Regina nodded.

It was the closest thing to a genuine smile he has seen in her face since the night they went out to eat, back to when she thought they were married and at the sight of it, he was taken a bit aback.

He remembered that night to the last detail, from the way she laughed so carefree to how she conversed with him in that sultry way she had of talking. Too bad it has been all based on a lie and too much wine and that now in their reality, she wouldn't even look him in the eye without her resentment showing.

Since that night the most genuine thing they had ever done was during the moment their daughter was conceived and if anything, he was sure the fact that he got her pregnant made her hate him even more than before.

In his mind it has been a breakthrough in their relationship; she just saw it as trifling affair that carried life changing consequences.

Sure, gone were the arguments and apparently her need to get even with him, but the bitterness in her was more than palpable and at times it felt like it was thick enough to make him choke.

Taking him out of his thoughts, Regina slid out of the bed and started to walk to the bathroom. But then, when she was at the door she turned around and looked at him.

"Robin…"

"Yes?"

"Thanks, for keeping and eye on Sofia."

Pursing his lips, he shrugged and blinked his eyes slowly. "It's no problem, trust me." And it really wasn't, because whether she would believe it or not, he would do anything for her to finally start seeing that he would do anything for her to be alright… anything.

**XxXxX**

The icy-cold water pouring out of the shower head felt like sharp needles chastising her over sensitive skin. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, that much she knew, but as much as she wanted to, she just couldn't bring herself to reach forward to turn the shower off.

She didn't exactly know what was happening to her, but it felt as if her whole body was paralyzed by a combination of lack of will and exhaustion and the result was that she was frozen on the spot.

Part of it was probably caused by the fact that she wasn't feeling that well; her skin was burning, her head was pounding and her limbs felt heavy as stones. But another part, probably the biggest reason of why her mind was faltering was because of Robin. Yes; Robin, because as bad as she was physically feeling, she couldn't deny that he was the biggest reason why she has been prolonging her shower for so long.

It was almost as if she was hoping that by staying there, standing still and with her eyes closed to the world, she was evading the inevitable encounter.

It was stupid, deep in her mind she knew that she couldn't stay there for much longer, but in the pinnacle of her ongoing fever, keeping herself in the safety of her bathroom for as long as she could seemed like a good idea.

Maybe he would grow tired of waiting and then he would just go; thing that would make het feel a hell of a lot better because honestly, by having him there she couldn't help but to have the distinct feeling that she was tip-toeing into a familiar dimension that she didn't want to explore again.

It was a strange feeling, one that has been harboring inside of her ever since waking up staring directly into the blue orbs of his eyes.

It was almost as if his eyes served as some kind of portal that transported her back in time and now she was lost, floating but not quite landing in a place that she hadn't visited in a very long time.

Maybe it was the fever and not those eyes the reason she was feeling out of herself; after all her temperature was quite high and sometimes having fever caused people to feel funny and even delirious.

Yeah, that must be it, because she was sure that Robin could cause nothing on her.

Half convinced, she forced her eyes open and swallowing on dry, she extended her right hand to kill the shower. The effort of doing that wasn't as bad as she thought it would be so she took the moment to step out of the shower to dry herself.

Once out, she did her best to put her mind in blank, then she dressed in the clothes she absentmindedly took out of her drawers before getting into the bathroom and with one last breath intake, she walked out.

Now, as she has been dreadfully expecting, her one time lover and father of her child was still there, sitting at the edge of her bed as if he had all rights in the world to do so.

True, in any other occasion, she would have snapped at the sole thought of having him invading the privacy of her home but right in that moment she was too tired to do anything other than just stare.

"Hey," He said tentatively while standing up and as he did so, their eyes found each other in the chiaroscuro of her bedroom. "I got you these. Thought it could make you feel better."

At his words, Regina just looked away from his eyes and focused instead on the pills he was holding in his hand. "What's that?" She asked as her legs finally began to cooperate by moving away from the door.

"For the fever, I found them in your kitchen's cabinets. I got you something to eat too."

Going to him, she took the pills and with the help of the glass of juice he got her as well, she swallowed them down.

Once done Regina gave him the glass back and nodding lightly, she blinked her eyes slowly, her head moving to the door. "I'm going to check Sofia."

"She's still sleeping."

Ignoring what Robin just said, Regina walked pass him and headed out to make it into her daughter's bedroom. Like he said, the little girl was peacefully sleeping in her crib and at the sight of her, she smiled.

"Thanks for taking care of her while I slept." She said again without taking her eyes away from the baby because she just knew that Robin was at the door.

She didn't have to look back to know; she could feel his unwanted presence the same way that she could feel his eyes on her.

"Anytime."

At the sound of his voice, she nodded once again and turning around, she saw him on the same spot she had imagined him; standing under the doorframe with one shoulder resting against the wood and all the intensity of his eyes fixed on her.

Right in that moment, she wanted to tell him that he could leave already, that she wanted him to leave; but there was that notion once again of tip-toeing over the edge that was preventing her from doing things the way she wanted to do them.

"That shirt… I'm pretty sure that's mine." He said, his voice barely above a whisper while his lips curved into the phantom of a smile.

Frowning, Regina tilted her head down, taking a good look at the shirt she was wearing. It was an old-oversized Beatles' shirt that she would use every now and then while in her house; and now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember where she got it.

"You used to wear it, you know… back when you were staying at my place." He said with a shrug.

"Oh. Well I'll give it back. I'll- just let me change."

With that said, she shook her head; she just couldn't believe that with all the shirts she had, she had to put the one she supposedly got from him.

But because she didn't want anything from him, once she changed she was going to give it back to him so that he could get out of her house already.

"Excuse me." She said when she attempted to walk out of the room and he didn't move.

"I don't want the shirt." He said somberly and without moving.

"Well I don't want it either. Now let me pass." She hissed, realizing that she was so tired of everything.

But instead moving away as she requested, what Robin did was stand his ground. "Regina…"

"No, don't say anything. Just let me pass." Closing her eyes and swallowing hard down, her voice cracked the slightest bit as she spoke.

Yes, she was tired. For close to a year and a half of her life she has invested a lot of her time in keeping all her feelings locked down and it just felt like they wanted to escape her at full speed in that moment.

Anger, pain, sadness… they all had suddenly become too much for her to keep inside.

"No, I'm not letting you pass by until you listen to me," He said, blowing out a breath and running his finger through his short hair. "I know it's hard for you to deal with me after what I did and I don't blame you. But… don't you think it's already time for us to move on? It's been more than a year and…"

"Oh yeah, since it's been more than a year I should just forget all about it, right?" Snapping her fingers and widening her eyes, she smiled bitterly. "There you go; I forgot all about it so why don't we move on. Let's be friends, let's go and have a drink or something, I'll even buy!"

Pushing the corner of his lip with the tip of his tongue, Robin breathed in and then he slowly let the air blow pass his lips.

"I know I messed up, Regina… I've been living with that all this time and there's not a single day I don't regret what I did. But I think I've told you and showed you over and over again how sorry I am so the least you could do is to let go of my throat already."

Snorting in disbelief, Regina shook her head. "You are unbelievable. Just… get out of my way." After saying that, she placed her hands to his chest and pushed him as hard as she could.

She managed to make him take a step back, but nothing more.

"I'm not playing around here, Robin, get out."

Recuperating his ground, Robin grabbed Regina by the shoulders and made her swirl around so that her back was now against the wall opposite to Sofia's door. Once he had her like that, he leaned against her and pressed his forehead against her.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, his eyes delving deep into hers. "I was stupid to do what I did and I definitely shouldn't have done it… but at the same time I'm also glad I did it and you want to know why? Because it gave me the chance to get to see the real you even if it was in small glimpses."

"Don't be ridiculous, you know anything about me."

"Maybe I don't know it all but I saw you, Regina, I saw you when you were at my house and I saw it that night we were together; and even if I don't understand it myself, I liked what I saw, what you showed me."

Sucking in a breath, Regina blinked her eyes rapidly, feeling very aware that she was one step away from making a fool out of herself in that moment. She just couldn't help it, everything that she has been suppressing for the last several months was adding up and she was now feeling like she was going to explode.

Maybe it was the fever like she thought at first, but maybe it was all in the way his eyes were looking at her.

"I know what I did was wrong and you have all the right in the world to hate me;" Hissing those words, his hands moved from her shoulders to her face. "Maybe that's my karma, having you hate me like this and being unable to do anything to fix it."

Biting down her trembling lips, Regina felt as the first tear slid down her cheek; as soon as it escaped her, her intention has been of wiping it away. But before she could do it, Robin used his thumb to do it himself.

"I don't hate you." She said at last because yes, as angry as she felt, she couldn't just hate him. "I should hate you though, God knows that I should."

"Regina-" He whispered, his breath a soft caress against her face.

"It doesn't matter thought and it doesn't change a thing."

Letting the words sink, she pursed her lips. She did it without pushing his hands away from her face.

"It matters to me." He said, his fingers making a stop on her lips so that he could trace them softly.

Before she could even reply to that, he leaned forward and replaced his fingers with his lips.

"Don't-" She mumbled, trying to move her face away from his, but as if he hadn't even listened, he followed her lips and in a matter of nothing he was kissing her.

Sliding a hand to the back of her head so that he could lift her her face up, Robin added a bit of more pressure into the kiss and for some reason she couldn't quite comprehend, she just allowed him to, her eyes closing in instinct as she finally jumped over the edge.

Now this was something she solemnly sworn never to do again; but with her mind messed up as it was and the fever clouding her judgment, she found herself being carried away into the moment and when she felt his thumb pulling her chin down to create space for his tongue, she received him.

Nowhere in her mind could she find any argument against what was happening so she just… kissed him back.

Yes, it was definitely the fever. There was no other explanation to justify the fact that as he kissed her, her hands found their way to his chest or that her tongue started to move against his as if they had never stopped kissing like this.

Now, last time they kissed like that has been such a long time ago that the feeling of his lips on hers and his tongue swirling inside her mouth felt like a new experience.

But… as different as it felt, she couldn't forget that this was the same Robin who lied and played with her.

With that in mind, Regina pulled away from his lips and clenching her jaw, she settled her eyes on her daughter's bedroom. "I think you better leave."

Dropping his hands away from her, her child's father looked down at her while the tip of his fingers ran smoothly down his jaw. "Is that what you want?"

Nodding without looking at him, she crossed her arms to her chest. She didn't say anything though, not that she needed to because after staring at her for the good part of a minute, he just turned around and walked straight towards the baby's crib.

Once there he touched the girl's hair, leaned forward to whisper something to her and then he was walking out.

Regina watched him, her warm eyes fixing on him as he made his way back to her. "That's not what you want and you know it."

With that said, Robin finally took a turn, walked down the stairs and out of her house.


	12. Chapter 12

If there was something that was very clear in Robin's mind, it was that if he walked out in that moment, he was going to lose his case. Leaving like Regina told him to do would be as good as renouncing to the possibility of reaching to her and he wasn't sure if he wanted that.

Sure, he was also aware that staying was not going to guarantee him good results; but if he walked out… if he walked out he was definitely going to lose the chance for good.

Wrapping his fingers around the knob of the door, he lifted his head and for a whole minute he stared into the dark skies that stretched into infinity like a black canvas above Regina's house.

No, he couldn't leave… even if he wasn't yet sure about what it was that he felt for Regina, he knew that he couldn't just leave.

If he closed that door and walked out, he was basically giving her all the time in the world to armor herself back against him and he knew damn well that she was going to do just that. By the next time he would be able to come back to try and talk things out with her, she would be safely hiding behind that huge brick wall she has constructed to guard herself from him and as much as he could try, he wasn't going to be able to break through.

That night he has been able to jump over that wall, he didn't tear it down, but he managed to make it to the other side and from there, he made an impact. An opportunity like that wasn't going to present itself for a second time so no, he couldn't just go.

What he needed to do was exploit the fact that her defenses were down and strike with everything he had. That night she wasn't completely immune to him and he needed to make the most of it.

Yes, some would consider his tactics to be low and vile since she wasn't feeling so well, but desperate times called for desperate actions.

He had nothing to lose anyway; if at the end of it all she would stand strong in her resolution of pushing him away, things would stay the same; but if he managed to break through, he would be gaining an opportunity to make things right by her.

That night she took a step forward and confessed to him that she didn't hate him as he had though she did and that triggered something in him that was imploring him not to blow the chance. So no, she didn't hate him and after having that knowledge, he wouldn't be able to let go. Yes, he knew that what he did to her has been messed up and that's why he has remained away, but now that he realized that he somehow affected and altered her feelings the same way that she altered his, he wasn't willing to let go without trying his best to reach to her.

It would be different if she despised him. If that would have been the case he would just let her be and keep living as his life; but it wasn't different, not as long as she still felt something.

Making up his mind on what he had to do, he stepped back and once inside her house, he closed the door.

Talking would prove to be futile, he was almost sure about that; Regina was strong-willed almost as much as she was proud and she could spend the rest of her life resenting him even if it meant swallowing down her feelings. But if he made her see and feel that what they had wasn't doomed, things could prove to be different.

Yeah it was going to be risky, but like he stated before, he had nothing to lose.

Turning around and heading upstairs, Robin ran a hand down his face and made it to her bedroom. He found her sitting at the edge of her bed and as soon as he stepped inside her head turned to him.

He didn't say anything and neither did she, they just looked at each other, her warm eyes shining in the darkness as his blue ones fixed deeply into them.

Yes, her defenses were definitely down, otherwise she would be yelling for him to get out. But she didn't, she was just there, looking at him, almost as if she has been expecting him.

Barely noticing his surroundings, Robin's eyes got caught up in her and taking a few more steps until he was standing right in front of the bed he reached for her, cradling her face with his hands and gently forcing her to stand up from the mattress.

"Don't do this-" She said in a soft whisper that barely made it pass her throat, but when his lips found hers in the semi-darkness taking over her room, she didn't pull away.

Her lips felt soft and warm against his and as he added a bit more pressure, his hand found its way to the back of her head and the other one went to her lower back. That way he held her close, so close that he could feel the heat of her body radiating out of her skin in huge waves so he could absorb it as his own.

Regina… for a long time, the two of them had gone through a lot. He was the one that caused that, he knew it, but she has also hurt him as well. She basically tried to rob him the opportunity of seeing their daughter grow up and if it hadn't been because he casually found out about her, she would have succeeded.

That was a fact that forever will live in the back of his head, but even with that, it was time to move on.

It was either that or dwelling forever in a world full of resentments and he didn't think it was fair for her, for him and let alone for their daughter.

Tilting his head to the side, he caught Regina's bottom lip between his teeth and ran the tip of his tongue through it. That right there made the mother of his child sigh against his mouth and he took that as his okay to go on.

As he did earlier on, he deepened the kiss by pushing his tongue pass her lips and much as it happened before, he found no resistance.

Her tongue moved for him, sliding against his and thus making their kiss turn into something more intimate and rewarding; even her hands moved for him, resting over his shoulders as both their breathing turned into one.

There were really no words needed for what was happening, talking hadn't done anything for them so it was time to let their acts guide them through once again.

At least that was what Robin was thinking and with that thought in his mind, he took everything that he could.

Refusing to break from the kiss, he wrapped both his arms to her waist and lifting her off the floor as if she weighed nothing, he carried her to the bed. Then, laying her there, he lowered himself down until he came to rest against her and then he started to kiss her even more deeply.

**XxXxXxX**

Her head was spinning and she wasn't thinking with the full capacity of her brain. She knew it because there was no way she would be granting Robin the liberty of doing the things he was doing if she was in her right mind.

She didn't even know if she would be able to explain what was going on if someone suddenly came to ask her why the hell she wasn't fighting him off. No, she wouldn't know how to explain it and all she could think about was that she didn't have the strength needed to fight him or the feelings that had taken over her.

In some way it was as if she was living a déjà vu moment and her mind traveled back to the night were she went to him and offered herself like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It has been a good night, better than what she actually expected. A night were they kissed like never before and simply gave into each other with everything they had. She gave him the liberty to do with her as he pleased and he very damn well just did that.

She had allowed her actions to be guided by a passion that felt too hard to control and as he took possession of her body, she perhaps gave too much of herself.

That has been her mistake because instead of getting him off her system like she had hoped after that night, what she managed was to make him crawl even deeper into her psyche. That was why she left, to run from that, little did she know it wasn't going to be as easy as just running away.

That's why she knew she should be kicking him out for good; because she wasn't sure if she could stand strong if she gave herself to him a second time, especially if she would have to stick around; but at the same time that her mind knew that, her body was too weak and what was worse, her will to say no to him has been beaten too weak as well.

Lifting one hand and running it through his short silky hair, Regina moved her head away from his lips. "Robin-" She breathed out, trying to form a coherent sentence that would beg him to please leave her alone. But when his lips descended to her throat and he started nibbling and then soothing her skin with his tongue, she found herself to be helpless.

Giving into him seemed to be something she was doomed to repeat as long as she had blood running through her veins and apparently, he knew it and was using that for his advantage.

Blinking her eyes closed and moving her fingers to the nape of his neck, Regina swallowed hard down. As she lay there, she could feel the way his stubble grazed the sensitive skin on her face and she had no other choice than to breath into the moment.

Maybe it would be better if they talked things out first, maybe it was time for them to move on from the past and start living in the present.

**XxXxXxX**

Inhaling into the sweet scent of her skin, Robin dragged his lips down to her collarbone, raining a series of soft kisses everywhere his lips would land. Regina didn't seem to have any objections so he went on, his lips working on her tender flesh and his hands taking the liberty of starting to undress her.

First it was her shirt, the one he had once been his, and when that one was gone and tossed to the floor, he helped himself to take the rest off along with his.

Once they were bare of everything but the raw desire to feel each other, he came to rest over her, his mouth finding hers again as a small gasp broke out of him.

Her skin against him felt hot and having her body melting underneath him made his mind get even more clouded. He wanted her like he has never wanted anyone, and grabbing her hips so that he could pull her closer against him he let her feel how much he desired to make her his.

Their hips grinded together, his fingers dug deep into her flesh and at the contact, he hissed.

Regina allowed him to do all that, she kissed him as he kissed her and her hands touched him as if she wanted to memorize the contours of his body; but even though her resistance was zero and she was doing her part in the whole thing, he could feel under his fingertips that she was extremely tense.

It wasn't like the first time were she showed no inhibitions and just took everything she wanted. No, this time she felt kind of stiff under him. It made him wonder if he was rushing things too fast, but at the same time he could also feel her eagerness so he was honestly confused on how to proceed.

Moving his head up, he stared into her face. Her eyes were half closed, her cheeks were tinged with a touch of red and her lips were moist and ready for him to claim.

She looked breathtaking and it took him a few seconds to recuperate his composure.

"I can't do this." She said at last, her eyes digging deep into his as she blinked rapidly. "I can't-"

As a response, Robin kissed the corner of her lips. "Regina." He said, savoring the way her name felt rolling out of his tongue. There were so many things he could say to her in that moment, but for the time being he remained silent, pinning her down against the mattress and her body an inch away from welcoming him.

It would be so easy to claim her that night as his once again, the only thing he needed to do was push against her and that was it. In the position they were in, with her legs at each side of his hips and his throbbing erection pressing against her sex, he would only need one thrust and he would be inside of her.

That was how close they were, their bare bodies melting against each other.

**XxXxXxX**

She could feel him holding back, actually, she could feel the way his whole body was tensing as he held back. His arms even gave a small tremble as he supported his weight on his elbows over her and Regina did nothing but close her eyes and part her lips as if to say something.

"If you want me to go I will." He whispered, his lips touching hers lightly; after saying that he snorted softly. "I don't want to but I will, you just have to say it."

Sucking in a breath, Regina opened her eyes. "It's not fair… you can't do what you did, regret it and then pretend nothing ever happened."

Backing his head a little, Robin licked his lips. "I don't pretend that you forget what happened, I know that's impossible just as I won't forget what you did. But I… I just want us to be able to move on from the past and give us a chance to try things out. I don't even know what is it that we have here, I just know that it's worth a try."

As he said that, Regina could feel the way his erection was already settled between her folds. If he decided to give a little push, he would slide right in and she wasn't sure anymore if that was such a bad thing. And who knew? Maybe he wouldn't even had to give that push as it seemed that her body was accepting him without either one of them moving a muscle.

She could already feel the head of his manhood halfway in and at the feeling, she swallowed hard down.

Apparently noticing, Robin pulled away, just enough to accommodate himself in a way he wouldn't slip in. Not that it made such a different because he was still there, hard and ready against her already slick folds. "One opportunity; that's all I'm asking."

As he said that, Regina couldn't help but to feel her mind racing and she closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. But then Robin started to kiss her closed eyelids and her body betrayed her, her hips rotated against him so that she could feel the length of him sliding against her, the feeling making her tremble.

He ended up like he was before, the crown of his erection settled at her entrance and as if it was nothing, she tilted her head up and kissed him full on the lips.

"I'm going to regret this…"

**XxXxXxX**

Regina began to talk against his lips, but taking in the meaning of her words and the kiss that she initiated, Robin pressed his mouth back to hers and silenced her.

She didn't need to say more so he kissed her tenderly, his tongue seeking hers once again so they could begin the journey of getting used to each other.

"You won't, I won't let you." He mumbled, but this time Regina grabbed the back of his head and pulled him to her, forcing him to resume the kiss.

He did, and amidst their kiss, he gave that ultimate push that took him home.


	13. Chapter 13

It wasn't until the distinctive sound of her bedroom's door being closed against its hinges got to resound all through the room that Regina decided to finally open her eyes to a new day.

She did it slowly, her heavy lidded eyes adjusting to the bright light of the morning and of course, looking around to corroborate that she was really alone.

But even though she couldn't see or hear a soul moving around, the brunette didn't dare to move a muscle until she would be entirely sure that Robin was already out of the sanctuary of her room.

Yeah, silly as it sounded she wanted to be certain because what would happen if he was still inside when she decided to drag herself out of bed? To her that wouldn't do because the last thing she needed in that moment was an early encounter with the man that was making her feel like a stranger in her own skin.

That was the reason why she remained frozen in bed for the good part of the next five to ten minutes, to make sure that he was really gone.

Staying in bed for those extra minutes didn't seem to be too much of a problem, after all she has been awake for a long while by then but because she has known him to still be there, she just refused to move or even open her eyes.

But now a sepulchral silence was ruling her surroundings and that meant that maybe, just maybe he was really gone. Even if it was just to check on Sofia…

Pursing her lips, Regina sat on top of the bed and ran a hand through her hair while thinking about what happened the night before. Sure, it was ridiculous that she was sitting there thinking about it, but it was just that she just didn't get what was happening to her when it came to that man.

True, for the biggest part of whatever kind of relationship they developed after the truth of what he did came out, they had been either at each others throat or simply ignoring one another, but after last night she felt completely lost. Yeah, most of the time she liked to think that she couldn't stand him but then there were other times… times like last night when he would say something or just look at her a certain way that would make her feel inexplicably drawn to him and that was something she couldn't deny.

Whatever it was, the Robin situation was something that she didn't want to feel. They were too complicated and to think things could get a sense of normalcy between them had no sense whatsoever.

With a clearer mind and with her fever already cooling off, she was sure that the best they could do was forget what happened and keep doing as they have been doing, nothing more, nothing less.

But at the same time, she just knew that the father of her daughter wasn't going to let her forget about last night. No, he has made that very clear and in some weird kind of way she even agreed.

She never said the words per see, but she never stopped him and she kissed him when he kissed her and she just gave him free reign to do as he pleased with her. She even came to enjoy it and no, her fever had nothing to do with it all.

Closing her eyes at the memory of how his skin felt against hers and how his mouth took possession of hers while their bodies fused as one, her cheeks flushed a deep rosy red and she shook her head in dismay.

First time she gave into him has been okay because it was something she thought she needed to get him off her system, but for what happened last night she had no excuse. Yes, she has been feverish but in all the capacity of her senses; she has been in all control of her acts and still she gave herself to him with no shame whatsoever…

Their messed up history didn't seem to matter in that moment and even though liberating in ways she wasn't ready to comprehend, it has been wrong.

Getting up to her feet, Regina kicked off the blanket that has been wrapped around her body and marched straight toward the bathroom. Once there she brushed her teeth and washed her face.

After being with Robin she passed out without taking a shower and she felt like she was in dire need of one; washing up would make her feel better, that was what she needed and she sure took her time doing it.

Now, once she was done, she pulled the shower curtain open and grabbing a towel to wrap around her body she walked out.

That's where she saw him, in her bed; laying over her mattress with his arms comfortably under his head and his eyes closed.

As soon as she saw him she halted on her tracks, feeling a bit startled at the sight of him. When did he walk backed in? Why didn't she hear him? Why was he on her bed?

Before she could answer all those questions, he blinked her eyes open and stared directly into her eyes.

Had he always looked at her like that? Had his eyes always dug so deep into her own? She wasn't sure, all she knew was that she had to break to stare and soon.

Clutching the towel harder, she snarled her lips and shook her head. She didn't want him to know how his presence affected her so she put on a front.

"Do you mind?" She said curtly, making a motion with her hand for him to get out. "I want to change."

Robin didn't even bat an eyelash at her words; he just got to his feet and walked to her, making her feel very self-conscious. There she was, with her defenses down, clad in nothing but a towel and with him so near to her.

It was as if she was living a deva-vu moment and that notion right there made her swallow hard. The memory of what went on in that bed as recently as the previous night was still very vivid in her mind and she couldn't deny it, it made her feel edgy.

After all she still hadn't put her thoughts in order and she was afraid that if pushed in the wrong direction, she could end up in the same predicament as before.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked and without waiting for a reply he went ahead and pressed the back of his hand against her throat.

The feeling of her cool skin seemed to satisfy him so he dropped his hand.

"I'm fine." Sure, she was still sore all over and she had a headache, but considering how she has been feeling the day before that was nothing.

Nodding, he chewed on the inside of his cheek, his eyes settling deep into hers. "Do you want to talk about last night?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina turned her back to him and walked away, her intention: seeking refuge back into the bathroom. "There's nothing to talk about."

But Robin was quick, he moved with the swiftness of a wild cat and in a matter of nothing he was once again in front of her.

"I think there is plenty to talk about."

"Robin-" She started to say in exasperation, her eyes closing while she folded her arms securely against her chest. "Let's just forget about last night, okay?"

That was what she was going to do to, forget and move on. It wouldn't be the first time she would have to do it so it was no big deal.

"Forget it, you say?" He asked, his tone sounding more than a bit amused. "I don't think… are you serious?"

Opening her eyes and finding that he was still too close for comfort, Regina cleared her throat. "Look, I'm not even mad about it and yes, I won't even deny it, it was nice and all that but it can't happen again. You know that. Now if you'll excuse me-"

Putting her legs into motion, Regina swirled on her feet and turned around. But before she could take another step, Robin grabbed her arm and made her to go back to him.

"Don't touch me." She hissed, placing her hands on his chest to push away from him.

Not that he allowed her to get away; no, what he did was wrap an arm to her waist to bring her even closer, so close that her chest was pressed hard against him.

Looking angrily up to his taller frame, Regina arched an eyebrow while trying to ignore the way her heart started to beat hard against her ribcage. "Robin… I'm not playing here so get your hands off of me."

Now, her voice didn't come out with the confidence she has intended, but how could she manage when looking into those eyes felt as if she was staring into an bottomless well that wanted to pull her in?

It was just… she didn't even get it, but if she was sure about something, it was that she couldn't trust herself when she had him so close. What if he decided that he wanted her again? Deep in her mind she knew she wasn't going to put much resistance and she couldn't allow that to happen again.

"Are we really going to go through this all over again? I thought it was kind of agreed that we were going to give us a chance." As he said that, Regina noticed that his tone was extremely confident and she hated him for it.

He knew what he was doing to her. He knew that even thought she hardly wanted to feel that way, that she felt inexplicably drawn to him.

"That was last night; today all I want is for you to leave me alone." She said, her eyes locked defiantly to his while her body made no attempt to move.

"Can I ask what made you change your mind?" He asked, but instead of letting her go he took a couple of steps that made her back up herself. She ended up pinned between his body and the wall.

Clenching her jaw and hoping that he wouldn't notice the slight tremor that just ran down her spine, Regina lifted a hand and brushed her hair confidently behind her ear. "I slept on it."

"You know you don't have to fight this." He said knowingly, his voice low. "I know it's messed and I don't even get what it is, but I know it's definitely worth a try-"

His confident tone irked her to no end, but at the same time, his closeness, the memory of what his fingers could make her feel and the way he was looking at her was too much and she was sure that he was going to make her go soft on him again.

"This… is not going to work." She said. Yes, apparently they had good chemistry in bed, but what would happen after when they would want to start ripping each other to pieces and in front of her daughter?

They still had a lot of unresolved issues to fix that were not going to disappear just because they had sex.

"Maybe it won't, maybe it will. How will we know it we don't try it?"

With that said he let go of her and took a step back, then without moving his eyes away from hers, he tilted his head and pushed the corner of his lip with the tip of his tongue.

"But anyway, you go ahead and get dressed, I'll check on Sofia and fix something for you to eat before I go."

"So you're leaving?" Her tone came off as unsure and she almost cringed. She didn't know why the thought of him leaving bothered her, but it did.

Arching an eyebrow, he smiled. "I will stay if you want me to."

After his words were said, Regina blinked her eyes a couple times and feeling the need to rush, she turned around and walked straight towards the bathroom.

What she did there she did it quickly, she got dressed and then when she walked out he wasn't there. It was a relief, but at the same time she was disappointed.

Sitting over the bed and cradling her face against her the palm of her hands, Regina snorted bitterly.

She didn't know why she was having so much trouble keeping away from him, the man was nothing but an jerk… a jerk that ended up being the father of her child but a jerk nonetheless…

Only that deep inside she knew the label wasn't completely true. Yes, what he did was completely out of place but… she no longer saw him just like the jerk who played her for a fool. She wasn't sure how it was that she looked at him now, but she did know that she wanted to move from their past already.

She was tired of being bitter all of the time and like he said, she didn't feel like fighting it anymore.

"Robin." She called out loud, part of her hoping that he wouldn't hear and another part waiting impatiently for his response.

She wasn't sure which of the two was worse but taking in a deep breath, she dropped her hands to her lap and fixed her gaze at the door.

The response never came, but soon the image of him appeared in front of the door and she stared at him while feeling unsure. She couldn't read his thoughts or his intentions, but something in his eyes was telling her that he knew why she called him and he was just waiting on her word.

"If you stay… I don't want to rush it, we can just test the waters and if it doesn't work we can't be at each others throats."

"Okay."

"Just okay?" Regina scoffed.

Robin didn't say anything for a while; he just looked at her through sparkling eyes as his lips curved slightly. "I'm just trying to think of a response that wont look like I want to rush it. I can't think of any right now and I would rather keep it safe to keep you from changing your mind again."

"I think I'm already changing it." She snarled her lips, but her eyes on him were not unkind.

"The hell you are." He walked to her and as soon as he was near he leaned into her and kissed her.

Not that he lingered much on it, because before she could really get into the moment he pulled his face away and clicked his tongue to the inside of his cheek.

"I told you last night, I won't let you regret this. And no, I can't promise you that it's going to be easy, but I can assure you it will be worth it."

Blinking her eyes slowly, she lifted her chin. "We'll see about that."

As soon as the words rolled out of her mouth, he kissed her and as she kissed him back she couldn't wait but to repeat in her mind that yes, that she really hoped for things to turn for the better, she really did.


	14. Chapter 14

"I cant believe you are making me do this."

Halting on her tracks as soon as she noticed a full length mirror standing tall outside the elevator that was going to take her and Robin to their final destination, the infamous Regina Mills used her eyes to scan her own reflection.

She did that critically, first checking that both her hair and makeup were still on point and then taking a step back to take a good look at her clothes.

She had a nice dress on, definitely worth the price she paid for it, but now that she was about to make her big entrance, she wondered if perhaps it wasn't a bit too much.

Now she couldn't help but to wonder if the double slits that ended just above mid thigh weren't too pronounced, even though the flowing layers made the openings a bit hard to notice, and she wondered if maybe the color wasn't perhaps a bit scandalous.

It was after all a deep crimson red that darkened a bit into the bodice and definitely a color that would make people notice. She knew better than anyone how people operated in the ambient she was about to step in and yes, the color was going to be a huge contrast against the somber blacks and greys her former circle usually aimed for the occasion.

"You look stunning, you don't need to stop at every mirror to know that."

Feeling the man's hands settle on her stomach as he came to stand behind her, Regina lifted her gaze so that her eyes could meet with the blue ones that were staring back at her through the mirror.

It was as she looked at him that she noticed that he was smiling, his eyes shining into hers with a glint that blended somewhere in between amusement and something much, much deeper.

"Do you realize how everyone is going to start talking the moment we step in there?" As soon as the brunette said that, her hands came to automatically rest over the ones pressed over her midsection.

"I didn't take you for someone who cared about what people talked."

Scoffing and tilting her head to the side when he brushed his lips against the naked skin of her shoulder, Regina arched an eyebrow. "I don't; I mean it's not like I'll be the one dealing with the hallway's gossip."

Robin hummed, dragging his lips from her shoulder and towards the nape of her neck. He did it without putting any kind of pressure into the contact but still, the gesture sent a slight tremor to run down her spine.

It wasn't like she could help it, after all this was the first time in a couple of weeks that she has been able to get to see Robin and apparently, being in a withdrawal from him made her senses go in overdrive.

He probably noticed because when her back straightened against him, he moved his hands to her hips to hold her closer.

"Let them talk, let them whisper behind my back about how I came with the most beautiful woman ever."

Clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth, Regina sighed. "You mean to say a woman who happened to be your boss and former COO of the company… because I think that's what they will gossip about."

As she said that, the doors of the elevator slid open and moving from his place behind her, he guided her to step inside.

"Perhaps. But that doesn't take from the fact that you look absolutely stunning tonight and that seeing you like this will make them talk."

Standing by his side and watching as he pressed for the floor they needed to reach, she squinted her eyes. "Oh so that's why you made me come here, to parade me around?"

"Not exactly." He chuckled while turning to her and once again grabbing her hips to him. "But I don't mind being seen around with you. Just for a little while though… you know, to comply with my duty of being here, because the truth of the matter is that I have other plans for you."

Leaning into her and kissing the corner of her mouth, he slid his hands to her lower back. Once there he moved them up so that the pad of his fingers could run over the exposed skin of her back.

"What kind of plans?" Not that she needed to ask. After all, it was basically the first time they were out without Sophia since they started whatever kind of relationship they had and she was sure he wanted to make the most of it.

"One where there is only you, me and a bottle of wine… maybe two. And let's say I get to take this dress off of you in those plans."

"You think I spent a small fortune for this dress just so it would end up laying in the floor of your hotel bedroom?" She asked, but even though she said that, her lips curved into a smile and the palm of her hand went rest against his stomach.

"You can leave it on if you want to, I can work with that too."

Before she could reply to that, the elevator's doors slid open as they arrived to the floor where the company she used to work with was holding its annual Christmas party, so instead of responding, what she did was put a little distance between them.

Not too much, just enough so it wouldn't look like they were making out in there.

Clearing her throat and moving her hands up his torso so that she could fix his bow tie, the dark haired woman arched and eyebrow. "An hour and then we're gone, I don't think I can stomach being here too long."

No, the crowd she knew to be roaming around was one of the reasons why she left the company and if she was there in that moment, it was because Robin asked her to go with him.

She hadn't wanted to, but because the last few weeks had been a little hectic and they hadn't been able to get together as they were used to, she decided that accompanying him was a good opportunity to change the routine they had established for the last six months or so.

"Alright then." Grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers to hers, Robin stepped out of the elevator and into his work's social gathering.

Regina walked with him, side by side, very aware that the deeper into the reception area they would go, the more people would stop and look and she wasn't going to lie, in a way she found it kind of amusing.

She knew most of the people there and they knew her, and she was sure that the dislike was mutual. Thinking about that, her lips slightly curved into what she was sure was an insolent smile and she lifted her chin up.

What could she say? It has been close to two years since the last time she has set a foot anywhere near anything company related and she wasn't going to let people leering at her ruin the moment. No, she looked good, she felt good and she was doing good, so if they wanted to look then let them, as long as they kept their distance she didn't mind…

"Regina? Oh my God I can't… wow." Hearing the cheerful voice and recognizing it immediately, Regina looked at the approaching woman and blinked a few times for lack of any other thing to do. But when the woman took the liberty of leaning into her to greet her with a kiss on her cheek, she opened her eyes wide and sent Robin a quizzical look.

"Belle." She said, trying to sound as amicably as she could.

Now sure, she liked this person better than what she liked most of the people around, but never in all the years they had worked together had they interacted in any way that wasn't work related. They were not friends, the woman has been her assistant and that was it.

"Robin." Belle said, sending the man a confused chuckle before kissing his cheek as well. "You both look great."

Then, as if the former COO and the current Marketing Manager arriving hand in hand to the gathering was the most natural thing in the world, the young woman said something about having to check how the raffle was going and just like that, she was gone.

"Well that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Robin asked in a chuckle as he noticed the look on Regina's face. He was well aware that she was not a social butterfly and that when she worked there, she only went to those gatherings because it has been her duty, so he could only imagine how uncomfortable she was with that little interaction.

He would feel bad, if it would be any other occasion, but the truth was that he was enjoying the moment a bit too much. First because even though her nose looked perpetually wrinkled as she tried not to grimace and the glint on her eyes screamed that she wanted to be anywhere but there, she also looked radiantly beautiful.

Now it could be that he was biased, but he has been rendered speechless the moment he has seen her ready to go and to that moment, he could barely keep his eyes away from her.

He still wasn't sure how he gathered the will to go to the party instead of staying with her in the hotel room he got for the night because that was honestly what he wanted to do.

She looked stunning as she was, but he couldn't wait to take off her dress so that instead of having his eyes on her, he could have his hands.

"Felt like I was swallowing bleach." Regina said while watching Belle leave and as she heard Robin snort, she noticed how a few of her former coworkers approaching.

It made her internally cringe, but she assumed most of them came by for Robin because they greeted him enthusiastically before engaging in small talk with him; they were after all the people he interacted with on daily basis so it wasn't out of the ordinary that they would stop to greet him as they moved along.

After all, it was no secret that he has always been well liked among his peers so she did her best to keep a neutral face when some people even went as far to talk to her. Most of them invited them over to sit with them and all of them tried discretely not to stare at how they were holding hands.

Not that the glances surprised her, no... she knew how the fact that she made an appearance into one of the company's parties with Robin was going to be the talk for weeks and now more than ever, she was glad that she no longer worked there.

Let him be the one dealing with the aftermatch of it all, it would serve him well for dragging her there that night.

Now, it was as Robin politely declined the invitations to get a table with almost everyone that they began moving along, and it was only as the crowd started to leave them be that she blew out a breath and addressed the father of her daughter.

"I'll hate you forever for this." She hissed through clenched teeth as he squeezed her hand and made her move ahead.

"Of course you won't. You'll see."

Fighting hard against the urge of rolling her eyes, Regina looked around to see if there was a waitress nearby. "Well if I have to do this then at least I need a drink, I can't do this sober."

"How about we cut the time short to half an hour?" Robin commented as they mingled with the crowd. "If you're going to get drunk, I'll rather you do it just with me."

Swirling on her heels so that she could face him, Regina arched an eyebrow and licked her lips. "Then how about we leave now? I'm suddenly interested in that bottle of wine you talked about."

"Oh, so you are interested just in the wine?"

Leaning against him as he circled her waist with one of his arms, Regina rolled her eyes playfully. She knew people were watching but she actually didn't care, if they were going to talk then she better give them something good to do so. "Among other things…"

Robin… ever since she decided that it was okay to give herself a chance with him, they had been involved in a somewhat complicated relationship. It couldn't be any other way because they were in a complicated situation.

Now yes, some people would say that what started wrong was doomed to end wrong but at their pace, they had been doing fine.

Sure, they had a few lows along the way but to that day, she could say they were pulling through. He would visit often, they had been talking quite a lot considering she wasn't a chatty kind of person and as time passed by, she could only see things getting better.

Take that night for example, she has taken a flight to be there with him and what she considered to be a bigger step, for the first time ever, she agreed to leave Sophia with his mother so that they could enjoy a night out together.

It had made her feel guilty at first but at the same time, she was aware that for them to keep evolving as a couple they needed time for themselves as well. Sure, when he came to visit he would stay over and after putting their daughter to bed they would spend the night giving into each other; but this… whatever it was that they were doing that night was a very much needed change of scenario.

"Then let's get out of here. Because if we don't I'm afraid I'll give in and end up kissing you right here, right now." Robin whispered in her ear.

"Look what the cat dragged in. I wouldn't believe it if it wasn't because I'm seeing it myself."

Turning around at the interruption, Regina spotted the closest thing to a friend she had in that company approaching her and scoffed.

"Well, if it isn't Mal herself."

"Live and in color. Now give me a kiss dear." The woman kissed both her cheeks and then pulled away so that she could take a good look at her. "All the way to the back all I heard was that you were here so of course I had to come and see for myself. Had to leave a perfectly good champagne getting warm but it was well worth it. You look ravishing, didn't you just give birth?"

"I did, she's already one and a half. But how about you, I heard you had one of your own."

Sighing dramatically, Mal brushed her off. "Yes, she's both delightful and a handful. We definitely have to catch up so expect a call soon. I say our daughters have to meet."

"Sounds good."

"Then it's done." With that said, she turned to Robin and smirked. "Who would have thought that after all the things Regina and I have done, things I won't confess of course, we were going to end up chatting about babies and playdates."

Laughing at her own words and then motioning for a waitress to bring over some wine, she took a glass and drank it almost in one gulp. When she was done, she grabbed three more; one for each one of them and handed them around.

"The Rosé here is exquisite. Of course, you don't exactly look like a wine type of guy but hey, we have to take what we can, right?"

Flashing a bright smile, Robin shrugged. "I'm British, I'll drink anything. Especially if it's free. I do however prefer a good whiskey."

"Hmm, last time I tried whiskey I ended up microwaving my phone so I'll stick to this. At least with wine I completely black out and end up forgetting whatever stupid thing I did."

"Some say that if you don't remember then I didn't happen."

"Oh, I like that. I'm even going to start using it. As for the free drinks, that is the only good thing about these gatherings. They are so brutally boring that I don't think I could go through them completely sober."

That was basically what Regina has said a while back so quirking her lips in appreciation, she raised her glass. "I'll drink to that." Then after she said that, she took a sip of her wine.

Robin took a sip as well, watching in amusement how the infamous Mal interacted with Regina. It was definitely a duo he hadn't imagined but as he observed them talk, he could understand how it was that they got along.

Now, he couldn't say that he knew the woman because this was the longest he has ever socialized with her. Their departments rarely interacted so he hadn't worked with her as he has done with Regina; but he has heard quite a lot about her and more than being a bit on the eccentric side, he has heard she suffered from the same malady Regina did, she lacked in interpersonal skills.

They were both good at what they did, probably the best, but when it came to make themselves relatable, they definitely failed so yes, it made sense for them to have clicked.

"Well, dear." Mal began to say and Regina let go of Robin's hand for a second. She used said hand to place it over the other woman's arm as she leaned against her to whisper in her ear. "I don't know how you trapped this one but don't let him slip away. He's a good one and those are hard to find."

Chewing on her tongue as Mal kissed her cheeks goodbye, Regina wondered if the woman would say the same if she knew how it was that they came to happen. She didn't think so as what went on between her and Robin had been confusingly messed up.

True, they stepped up and she couldn't complain about any aspect of their relationship once they started trying things out, but the fact remained that what happened was going to haunt them forever.

It was only up for them to decide if they were going to let the past ruin their future.

Pulling away and sending a wink Mal's way, Regina smiled. Then she looked at Robin, his eyes bright and clear staring deep into her own eyes as he smiled in that daunting way he reserved just for her.. "I won't."

"Good." Mal blurted out loud. "Now please don't tell him about _that_ New Year's Eve, I'm a lady and still have a reputation to uphold."

Snorting at the memory, Regina watched the woman turn to leave. She could feel Robin pulling her a bit closer and she lifted her face to him.

"Well how about that, didn't even know you two were friends."

Shrugging, Regina bit her lips. She wasn't sure if friends was the word to use but yes, maybe it was. She and Mal had been two women in power within a company ruled by men and they had to show their claws to survive. They also didn't seem to fit socially with the rest of the people there and even though they should have been enemies because more often than not they clashed horns, they bonded in the weirdest ways.

So yes, you could say that they became friends in the hostile territory that surrounded them.

"We were, I guess. She's intense but she's good. Anyway, can we leave now?"

Going back to wrapping an arm around her, Robin licked his lips. "Why, aren't you going to tell me what happened in _that_ New Years Eve?"

Moving her face forward so that she could press her mouth to his, Regina hummed. The contact didn't last long because she didn't want to capture more attention than the one she was definitely getting in that moment, so after kissing him briefly, she grabbed for his hand and began to walk, pulling him along. "No I won't."

Not that it was such a big deal since it involved mostly Mal getting a little wild after too much to drink, but she would rather use her time not talking.

With that in mind, she guided him the same way they came in, right through the crowd and directly towards the elevator.

They were stopped several times along the way and Regina took that time to get a second glass of wine, not necessarily because she was craving it but because social gatherings always made her uncomfortable.

Back when she worked with the company she has never needed to deal with everybody and their mothers going to her and she preferred it that way, but apparently, Robin was not only used to it but he also seemed to enjoy it.

He genuinely liked interacting with everyone and not for the first time over the past six months, she wondered how two beings so opposite to each other ended up being together.

"It's as if they keep multiplying." Regina mumbled once they were able to sneak away from everybody. She was by then a bit annoyed, but since they were at least already standing in front of the elevator, she tried to relax a little.

"Come here." Robin said motioning her to stand by him and she did, letting him pull her close enough so that he could wrap her into his arms. "So…"

Robin began to say, but before he could go on, the elevator opened and the last person she wanted to see in that moment came out.

"My mate." The newcomer yelped and when Regina rolled her eyes and pulled away from Robin, he stepped forward and hugged him briefly. "Do not fear, I came to bring a little life into this party."

And apparently he was, because he brought with him a pair of bottles of what she assumed to be whiskey, and by the looks of him, he already started drinking from them.

"Well that's good but we're already heading out." Robin replied while patting his best friend on the back. "Another time?"

"What? But I just got here with the good stuff." Killian said while swirling around so that he could face the brunette woman. He did it while flashing a huge grin. "Regina, you look lovely as ever. Can I get a hug?"

Lifting a hand so that she could stop him from getting near, Regina rolled her eyes again. "Don't push it."

"Alright then," The man said as he watched both Robin and Regina get into the elevator. "Perhaps another time. Now don't you go and make another baby, you have too many already mate."

Scoffing as the doors closed and she could no longer see Killian, Regina pressed for the floor where the hotel bedroom was. "Your friend is a jerk."

At her words, Robin sucked into his mouth his bottom lip and then he went ahead and grabbed her hips to make her turn to him; then, without giving her time to react he took a few steps forward and made her back up against the wall, blocking an escape she didn't plan on doing with his body.

"Did I mention already how strikingly beautiful you look tonight?"

By instinct, Regina's hands flew to his arms and she grabbed him, her lips curving into a smile and her eyes searching for his. "I think you did. And… you don't look bad yourself."

"Well thank you. I tried to clean up nice." As he said that he pressed his body hard against hers and smirked, lowering his face as his eyes delved deep into hers.

Regina blinked and her face angled up as she returned his stare with the same intensity. "Did you have fun at your party?"

Lowering his face even lower so that his lips were an inch away from her own, he used his forefinger to run a path up her spine. Once it traveled all the way up through her naked back he made the same journey back down.

"Not yet, but I guess I will now," The low undertones of what he said made Regina arch an eyebrow and when his other hand moved down to her thigh, searching for one of the slits underneath the layers of her dress so that his fingers could slide in, she had no choice other than to bite on her lips.

"You better not be trying to have fun right here, right now."

"Tsk, of course not. I mean if that's what I wanted I would be doing something like this." He grabbed one of her thighs and lifted her leg all the way to his hip level.

The position made his not so subtle erection press insistently against her crotch and she had to grab onto him harder not to lose her balance.

"Robin-" She warned him because they were in a public elevator that could stop at any given time and she didn't want to provide the show of a century in that hotel; but even though she said that, her voice lacked conviction and she made no attempt to make him step back.

She just couldn't, not with the sensation he was provoking right between her legs or with the way he was looking at her.

It has been too long since they had been able to enjoy a moment alone and now that they were finally going to, she could barely wait.

She wanted him and it was more than obvious that he wanted her too… but instead of saying that, she threw her head against the wall and with her eyes still on his, she hummed.

"You are crazy." The words were said while rotating her hips against his, getting a better feeling of him through both their clothes.

"It's all your fault. You are making me crazy." He said darkly, his fingers sliding to the edge of her underwear, right where the flesh of her buttocks began to hide underneath the fabric. "Could barely keep my eyes off of you."

Brushing her lips to his jawline and feeling how he grabbed a handful of her ass before pulling her even more against him, Regina breathed out. She could feel her face flushing with the intensity of the moment. "Is that so?"

"Yes." He replied, his face getting close enough for her to feel his breathing brushing against her lips. "Wanted nothing more than to grab you and kiss you right in front of everyone down there, let them know you are all mine."

Instead of being thrown off by the more than chauvinistic comment, she felt a liquid warm sensation settle in her lower stomach and her mouth parted while she pressed her tongue to the corner of her lips.

_His_… she should respond that she didn't belong to anyone, just to herself, but would that be true? Whether she liked it or not, the man has come to sweep her completely towards him. He came forcefully and she has been unable to do anything other than just stand there and let him take her.

It was like nothing she has ever felt before and even though sometimes it was overwhelming, she didn't want it any other way.

"Why didn't…" She started to say, but before she could go on his lips silenced her, pressing hard into hers and taking advantage of the gap in her mouth to slide his tongue right in.

She closed her eyes and like always, gave him reign to do whatever he wanted. And it was good, the way his tongue dueled against hers as her body molded to his was very stimulating to her senses. He even went as far as using the hand beneath her dress to brush his knuckles against her sex and at that, she gasped softly into his mouth.

But when they heard the elevator stopping to their floor, the magic of the moment was gone and they were forced to pull away immediately.

Fortunately, there was nobody around when the doors opened and letting him take her hand again, she followed him through the corridor until they were at their door.

They did that in silence, and when the door was opened and he made her go inside, he immediately went back into kissing her...

AmRegina kissed him back, something in her gut telling her that they were definitely going to have a night to remember.


	15. Chapter 15

As Robin took possession of her mouth, Regina's arms went automatically to circle his neck and he lifted her up, his hands cradling her ass perfectly as he pressed her against the closed door.

With both her legs circling his hips and with her back resting against the wooden barrier separating them from the rest of the world, she opened her eyes for a short second and moaned into his mouth. It felt more than nice to feel him like that, so close...

"Okay… this is too much of a dress. It's all over." He snorted against her lips as he swirled around so that he could make it into the bedroom.

Holding to him, she scoffed. But then he was back into kissing her and she said nothing, she just let him carry her towards the bed until he lowered her down to it.

He went down with her and upon feeling his body go on top of hers, Regina arched her back and pushed her hips forward, searching for a nice feel of his hard-on pressing into her groin. She craved for the feeling and when he pushed into her, she moaned again.

Now, if only he would do that without their clothes on...

"You are way too overdressed as well." She breathed out, tugging at his dress shirt in hopes he would start taking it off.

Pulling away and watching as Regina lay over the mattress, the red of her dress contrasting dramatically with her skin, Robin took off his tuxedo jacket and tossed it aside.

She looked enticing, her eyes wild and her lips swollen while she waited for him to act.

He could have her there, she looked ready to take and he wanted her right as she was; he actually wanted her so bad he couldn't even think straight, but at the same time, that wasn't exactly how he wanted it.

No, over the past several months they've had plenty of rushed encounters were they would barely make it out of their clothes before giving into each other and he wanted to make it more than that.

Sure, what they have been doing was how things were in a relationship were not only did they live several States apart and only saw each other once a week if they were lucky, but also when there was a toddler all over the place demanding their attention, so that night... that night he wanted them to take their time.

He has basically planned for the evening very carefully so he wasn't going to get desperate and rush things out. That was why after taking off the cufflinks of his shirt, he tried to slow things down a notch.

"I know you already started with the Rosé." He said while taking off the bow tie as well. But he left it there and didn't even bother with the vest. "But I got you something else here." Reaching for her hand to help her sit before getting up to his feet so that he could get the wine he ordered earlier on for the occasion, he cleared his throat.

He got the bottle quickly and once he opened it he grabbed for a pair of glasses and poured the fiery red liquid into them.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She asked in that sultry way of talking that she sometimes used and Robin scoffed. She took the glass though and drank, savoring the rich flavors of it before swallowing it down.

"Not quiet. I do however, want you to relax and enjoy yourself."

Humming, the dark haired woman arched an eyebrow and settled her eyes on his. "I'll relax when I get to take this off. Give me a hand."

Before he could even reach her, Regina began sliding off the crossed double spaghetti's straps that held her dress to her body. Robin watched her through darkening eyes and sipped on his wine, but when she was about to pull it off he lowered himself until he was at eye level with her and kissed her.

Her hand automatically lifted to his head so that her fingers could run into his short hair, and when he invaded the inside of her mouth by brushing his tongue to hers, she sighed.

Moving his hands to her shoulders and being careful not to break from the kiss, Robin slid the straps down her arms. Once they were off he began working on the bodice, pulling it down until her upper body was completely exposed.

With that done, he allowed his hands to roam freely along her skin; going from her arms to her shoulders, traveling to her back and down her ribcage to then slide back up to the swell of her breasts.

She did her part as well, kissing him long and deep, their tongues fusing while she pulled off the vest and unbuttoned his shirt. And all the while as she did that, he never stopped touching her, his thumb smoothing her nipples while his hand grabbed all it could take of her breast.

The sensation he was provoking by touching her and kissing her with all that he had was making her feel breathless. It was even making her feel kind of dizzy and she wondered if three glasses of wine was enough to make her head feel clouded.

Now it wasn't like she felt drunk, but somehow all her senses were on the edge and for some reason, she felt everything tenfold. She even had to pull away from the kiss for a second so that she could collect her thoughts.

"Are you hungry?" He asked against her lips and unable to hold it, she burst out an incredulous laugh.

"Are you seriously thinking about food, now?"

Instead of getting an answer, she felt him puff out a breath and then his lips began to trace a path down her jaw and straight towards the tender spot below her ear. She threw her head a little sideways to give him more room to work and closing her eyes, she bit on her lips.

"Well we haven't eaten anything yet..." Robin said, his mouth dragging low to her collarbone. "And as it happens, there's an actual dinner waiting for us here."

"We'll eat in a moment." Getting up to her feet so that she could finish taking off her dress, Regina went back to kissing him; she only lingered for a few seconds though and when he circled her waist to bring her closer, she grabbed his arms and pulled them away from her. "I have a different kind of hunger right now."

"Oh I see." He said in amusement as soon as she reached for his belt and fumbled with it, taking it off and then going to deal with his pants. Once that was done and he kicked off his socks and shoes and stepped out of them, she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him closer.

Running the tip of her tongue over her lips, she took a moment to appreciate the sight of him in just his underwear, her eyes getting caught up in the way the outline of his erection seemed to be calling for her.

It was obviously not the first time she saw him like that and hell, she has seen him wearing less, but there was something about having him there that night that was making her feel on the edge, and the sight of him only added fueled to the building desire that wanted to consume her whole.

That was why she touched him there, the palm of her hand running through the length of him, slowly going back and forth with a few strokes before going ahead to pull his boxers down his hips and thighs.

The motion made him sprung free and she was greeted by his hard member, proud and flushed right in front of her face.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline bolt right to her groin, Regina brushed her lips against him, grabbing his hardness by the base and holding it firmly against her face. She inhaled his scent, feeling him both hard and smooth into her hand…

"You know you are ruining my plans for the night, don't you?" He asked in a snort, but because he made no attempt of stopping her she shrugged and kept doing her thing.

"So you don't like _my_ plan?"

Now, wanting to go further with him, she looked up into the heat of his eyes and took him into her mouth, sliding her lips over the crown of his erection and then going even lower.

Robin sucked in a breath as the warmness of her mouth wrapped around him, his eyes settled on hers making the moment feel even more intense than what it was. "Of course I like it." He growled.

He actually liked everything that she did behind closed doors. If there was anything he came to know about her, it was that despite her sometimes cold demeanor, Regina was a very passionate woman, one who was not afraid to act on her desires and he liked that.

She knew how to keep him on the edge and no matter how many times they would dance this dance, he never seemed to get enough of her.

She knew what she wanted and how she wanted it and she wasn't afraid to let it be known. It was interesting and he wasn't going to lie, knowing that he had a woman of her caliber her by his side and all for himself was mind-blowing.

That night it all felt even better and as she continued to impair his judgement, he wondered if it was because going with her to his work party reminded him how imposing and untouchable she has been there. She has been someone to look from afar and never in a million years, would he had thought that he was going to end up like that with her and yet, there they were.

Before their entire story began she wouldn't even talk to him if it wasn't work related and now she was his, the infamous Regina Mills was all his.

"Good, because my plan is that you like it." Humming over the pleasure it gave her to taste him so intimately, Regina took as much as she could take of him and applied the lightest of suctions, her tongue swirling around him as he throbbed inside her mouth.

Robin hissed as she skillfully worked his arousal; he did it without taking his eyes away from her and then be licked the edge of his upper teeth, his eyes dark and wild as he remained in his place.

On her part, the dark haired woman closed her eyes and focused on what she was doing. She ran her tongue all along his shaft, she teased the crown of his erection, let him rest against her full lips and stroked him as she took all she could into the cave of her mouth.

The moment didn't last much though, because after barely a minute or two of treating him with her lips, tongue and even her hands, Robin grabbed her face and forced her to her back.

He kissed her roughly as he hovered above her, but after quickly swirling his tongue around hers, he pulled away and placed a kiss on her jaw.

Keeping her eyes closed, she sighed as his lips kept going lower. They traveled from her face directly towards her breast and once he was there, he closed his mouth around her.

"Robin, you know you shouldn't do that." And no he shouldn't, even when she considered herself to be far from modest when it came to intimacy, she was very aware that she was prone to have an accident down there even though she already stopped nursing and she didn't want the encounter to turn awkward.

"No?" He asked, his tone dark and feral before taking a mouthful of her breast.

Despite herself, Regina gasped brokenly at that, her back arching automatically as his tongue lapped at her nipple and his hand squeezed her other breast.

"No..." She said with no conviction, her eyes opening and her fingers running through his short hair.

As a response, Robin hummed, his teeth closing lightly over her hard nipple and then sucking it into his mouth until she hissed and threw her head back in defeat. He repeated the same with her other breast before pulling away.

"Alright then…" He mumbled and then he kept moving lower. He traced his way down to her navel, leaving a series of butterfly kisses over her skin that made her tremble in anticipation.

Just with what was happening she felt swollen and wet already so when he grabbed the edge of her panties to take them off, she couldn't help but to tense. She did her part of raising her hips to help him ease the fabric off of her, and by the time he got her completely naked, she felt every fiber of her being on the edge.

But because he apparently wanted to torture her, instead of going ahead with what he needed to do, what he did was grab one of her legs too take off her high stiletto heels. He did it without any kind of hurry and even though she knew she should be glad because those were some very expensive shoes, she didn't have the patience for his calmness.

"Just take the off." She hissed.

Smiling knowingly, Robin finished with the task and still grabbing her legs, he pulled them apart and placed a kiss on her calf.

He had to lift her leg to do that and keeping it elevated he dragged his lips up so that he could kiss his way up the back of her knees. Not that he ended there, he kept moving to her inner thighs and then farther up until reaching her groin.

Once there he grabbed her hips and hummed. He did nothing though but alternate between kissing her thighs.

"You are being a tease." She complained and he snorted.

"Are you in a hurry? Because as far as I know, I have all night long to do this."

Scoffing, she ran a hand through her hair. She was sure he was looking at her and as he watched, there was a sense of giddiness in her, then, as if that wasn't enough he lifted a hand and using his fingers he parted her, exposing her even more.

For a while he did nothing else and she wanted to ask him if he was going to stare at her all night long or if he was going to do something more pleasurable, but before the words could even form in her mind he closed the distance that separated them and using his tongue he probed her.

Regina gasped, settling a foot firmly over the mattress as her eyes tried to take a look of what he was doing. Her vantage point wasn't the best, but the little she could see felt erotic, the feeling of his tongue brushing all over her enough to drive her mad.

He licked, dragged his tongue over her aching clit and then sucked it into his mouth, and as he teased her beyond the limits of comprehension, her hands flew to his head, holding him in place as her fingers got a nice feeling of the silkiness of his hair.

"I like that…" She panted as she threw her head back.

"I know." He mumbled, the way his voice vibrated against her sensitive flesh tickling her in the most sensuous of ways.

What he was doing was taking her very close to the edge and all she could concentrate was on sensation.

She felt feverish and in her mind all that mattered was his tongue on her, everything else was a blur. "Just…" She whimpered, holding tighter to him. "Don't you stop now."

"I can't hear you." He murmured against her, placing a series of light kisses against her inner tight.

"Robin," She complained as she looked down on him. "Don't be a damn tease… and just, just keep doing what you were doing." She was too damn close and she didn't want him to take her down her cloud with his talking.

He smirked, and taking her words into consideration, he held her hips firm in his hands and dragged his lips back to her sex. He parted her again, flickered his tongue against the bundle of nerves hidden between her folds and that was all it took for Regina to reach her climax.

She shut her eyes tight, her hips shoot up and she moaned, the sound coming from the back of her throat as Robin refused to stop feasting of her. He held her closer, his lips and tongue still working on her as she shivered her release away.

It was amazing, he was amazing and when he got up to his feet and dragged her along before lifting her up against him, she barely took notice. Her mind was still not functioning right.

"I can't feel my legs." She sighed out loud, and wanting to see if they still worked she wrapped them around his hips.

They worked alright, and not only did they work but they held to him as he walked with her out of the room and into the bathroom.

"If you can't feel them now wait until I'm all done with you." Robin whispered darkly as his hands cupped her ass to hold her up.

She kissed him as a response, she kissed him long and deep and it wasn't until he eased her down to the floor that she broke away from his mouth.

As if if in cue, Robin moved away from her. "Well, since you already made me postpone dinner, how about we do this?"

Looking around, Regina noticed that the hot tub in the bathroom was completely filled up with water and that it was all set up nicely to have a nice one on one. There were even a few candles lit up. "What's this?" She asked in appreciation.

Clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, Robin disappeared a moment; when he came back she saw that he brought with him the bottle of wine he opened earlier on and the two glasses.

"Not much, just what I said earlier on. A little something to make you relax."

Regina hummed, and when he helped her get into the tub and poured another glass of wine for her, she started to sip from it. She noticed though that he left his besides the bottle. "Well this does feels nice."

Letting the warm water embrace her, she saw as he set things up so that they could even have some music in the background before getting into the tub with her.

"Wow."

Once he settled, they ended up facing each other and in that position, she could feel the entire length of his legs resting against hers. It made her feel giddy, and she couldn't say if it was because the wine in her system or the simple fact that all the intensity of his eyes were focused entirely on her.

"So… do you like it?"

"I do." Chewing on the inside of her cheeks, Regina leaned forward and after taking another sip of her wine she offered some to him.

He drank without taking his eyes away from hers and putting the glass aside, she ran her hands over his chest.

"I like it very much." She moved her hands to his shoulders and then down the toned muscles of his arms.

Using a hand to brush his knuckles to her cheek, Robin smiled. "That's the idea. Almost had to bend over backwards to set it up while we were gone but if you liked it, then it was definitely worth it."

Arching an eyebrow, she reached between his legs to find that it only took a couple of strokes to get him hard once again and she had to smile at that. It felt nice to touch of him and only with the knowledge that she was the one provoking that reaction made her insides burn.

"How about you, are you enjoying yourself?"

Scoffing, he looked down at what her hand was doing and then back at her. "Oh yes, most definitely."

Regina liked his response because as of late, she oddly found herself addicted to making him feel good. She particularly liked how his face would blush in the brims of his passion and the way his eyes would darken and his grip would tighten. Then there was the timber of his voice, the smoothness of his accent and his scent and well, all of him!

"Have I ever told you that I really, really like you?"

At that, he smiled one of his dimple smiles. And yes, as soon as the words rolled out of her mouth she realized that the wine probably made her be more than a little buzzed, because that kind of talk wasn't much like her. True, she would often say how much she liked any particular thing he would do to her while being intimate, but nothing more than that.

"No, you haven't told me. But I kind of figured it out. You do know I like you too, right?"

"Yeah, I figured too." Keeping her hold on him and closing her palm into a fist, she slowly started to move her hand from the base of his erection to the crown of it while sliding closer. The movement was methodical, and the closer she got the bigger her smile would get. "Which serves me well because you really have to like me in order for you to do what I want you to do to me."

At her words, his hands moved to her waist and he pulled her closer, the sudden movement making her feel as if she was going to fall backwards and straight into the water. She released him so that she could hold onto his shoulders and a small gasp came out of her mouth.

Her reaction surprised herself and she laughed out loud. "You want to drown me here?"

Snorting, Robin grabbed her tighter, his arm circling her waist as he made her straddle him. "So it only takes a few glasses of wine for you to finally admit that you like me and so you can laugh; kind of makes me wish I would have done this sooner."

Biting her tongue, Regina cleared her throat. In any other occasion she would definitely roll her eyes and tell him not to think too much about her comment, but the truth was she wasn't feeling like playing hard to get.

They have been basically seeing each other for the last several months and they had a daughter, so she didn't have to hide the fact that she liked him. At that point it should be obvious, especially if she agreed into the relationship after what he did.

So, with that in mind she decided to play it lightly. "See, I knew you wanted to get me drunk."

"On my defense I did try to get you to eat something so it wouldn't go straight up to your head but you never listen to me."

Smiling, she reached for her glass and drank a bit more. As she did that, he moved his hands up her back before letting them slide back down until he ended up cradling her ass into his palms.

Once his hands were full of her flesh, he grinded her to him, his erection pressing insistently against her core. Now, the position was wrong for him to settle into her, but the contact made her shiver.

"Well on my defense, if you really wanted us to eat, you shouldn't have been all over me."

"Oh I was all over you?" He asked in a laugh. "You were the one who got all frisky on me back there."

"No, it was all you and what can I say, I went with the flow. It has been a while since our last time so I just rolled with it.

"Did you, now?" Pressing his mouth to hers, he kissed her. It made her wrap her arms around his neck so the kiss could deepen. It felt good, and wanting to feel more, she rotated her hips against him so that the hardness of him could slide along her core.

"I think…" He began to say against her mouth, then he pulled a bit away so that he could look at her in the eye. "That if we could see each other more often, we could have more of this."

"You think?"

"Maybe you and Sophia could spend more time at my place… she already has her bedroom there and you could use my office to work, I mean that's the advantage of working your own business from home, that you can do it from anywhere."

"You want me to move into your house? Robin, you know-"

Before she could go on, he placed a finger to her lips to cut her off. "That's just something to ponder about later, right now I think there are more pressing matters to attend." As if to make his point, he accommodated himself in a position where all he needed to do was give a little push so that he could enter her.

Focusing on that instead on what he just suggested, her eyebrow arched and her lips curved into a smirk. "And they are indeed pressing… very much so I would say."

Robin licked at his lips at her words and before his tongue could retreat back into the cave of his mouth, she darted hers out and touched it to his. That movement marked the beginning of another kiss and as it went on, she pushed against him so that he could start sliding into her.

He went in smoothly, inch by inch settling deep into her until he was completely in.

The invasion made her gasp into his mouth and without exchanging another word, they began to move against each other.

It felt amazing, the way he was filling her up, how he insistently searched for her mouth to kiss with a sweet urgency that made her crave for more and how his hands on her felt like little bolts of electricity making her tremble all over.

Then it was the way she was melting against him as he moved within her and how he burnt her groin in the most delicious way with every single thrust. It all made her feel delirious and completely out of control.

"Robin…"

She mumbled, but instead of saying more than that, what she did was rest her forehead to his, her mouth open and breathing hard pressed to his own.

On his part, he held her tight, placing a kiss to her mouth whenever she would moan a little too loud and refusing to stop thrusting into her.

"Is this what you wanted me to do to you?" He asked, his voice a raspy breath. "Because it is what I've been wanting to do all night long."

"Yes." She hissed as he kept on. And that was the truth, she has wanted it since he picked her up at the airport, but since they had Sofia and had to leave her first at his mother's to then get ready for his work's party, she held on.

But now they didn't need to hold anything and since the build up has been so intense, she could see herself succumbing to the moment once again.

"I wouldn't have mind skipping the party and going straight to this."

Going back into kissing him, she clung to him, the friction of their bodies rubbing against each other making her blood boil to a point were she felt like she was burning. The feeling made her spread her legs even more and grind against him, her body searching for a full contact that could help it relieve the ache he was creating in her.

Adding to that the way he was grabbing her hard against him while the rhythm of his thrusts kept increasing and it was enough to make her feel in a frenzy.

Tearing her lips from his, she opened her eyes so that she could look into the blue of his own eyes. They were a few shades darker that their usual color and she felt entranced staring into them.

In a way it felt almost obscene to be looking at each other that way, with nothing but the music in the background and the sound of their breathing and soft moans breaking over the silence.

But words were not necessary, the look on his eyes, the flush on his cheeks and they way he was filling her completely spoke volumes of what was happening between them.

The pressure whiting her kept building, her blood was pumping in every direction and she just felt like everything was right, like this was how they were meant to be.

Now, with the intensity of it all, it didn't take long for him to reach the brims of his own passion. She knew because he became erratic on his movements and because he let out a growl so low in his throat that it put all her senses on edge. By the time he came, shooting up deep into her and pressing her hard to him, she was breathless and on the edge as well.

Regina loved the sensation of it all so she pushed back into him as he rode down his orgasm, and because he never stopped thrusting into her they ended up slamming against one another. Add to that the feeling of his hot essence filling her up and the way he clumsily searched for her lips to kiss her and she was a goner, again…

The orgasm hit her hard; it took her un-prevented, making her squirm and moan as he kept pushing in and out of her until he subsequently had nothing more to give.

When he was done, he just held her to him as she collapsed against him.

For several seconds that seemed to have dragged into an eternity, they remained like that, waiting for their breathing to go back to normal.

They did not speak or even moved for a while, but then he grabbed her face and made her look at him he so that he could speak.

"I know this is not what you want to hear, but I'm pretty sure I love you."

Her eyes danced into him, the surprise on her face probably showing because as she was going to open her mouth to talk, he motioned her not to.

"I don't expect you to feel the same way so I won't ask for anything other than for you to let me show you how good this can be."

Biting on her lips and looking down, Regina shook her head. "Robin… that is not something you drop in a moment like this. I can't… even think straight so how am I supposed to react to that?"

"You're right, I'm sorry." He said half apologetically.

Maybe she was right and he said it in the least opportune moment, but what could he say? What he blurted out was something he has been holding for a while and probably in the heat of the moment, he let it slip.

It wasn't his fault though, she should know that it was close to impossible for him to keep wanting her half way. Yes, what they had was good but to that point he wanted more. He wanted it all.

"I'm sorry, like I said, because it's not what you want to hear. But I need you to be aware that I want more than what he have. I want to have this… to have you and Sophia everyday. I don't want to keep this a weekly thing."

He observed as she chewed on her lips and deep inside he was glad that at least she wasn't turning to her usual elusive self and was at least listening to him.

"So you just expect me to move in with you?"

Shrugging and smiling, he leaned forward and kissed her chin. "I'd like that, yes. But it can be something we can do gradually. You can start by staying more often because trust me, as much as I would love to, I can't go to you as much as I want to. Not with Roland staying with me every odd weekend and not with how work is going, so I don't know, you staying over for a couple of weeks to see how this goes is a good start."

"Your dog hates me."

Laughing even though the reference should make him feel bitter about every single thing that went wrong in their past, he used his thumb to caress her cheek.

"He doesn't hate you. Alright, maybe he's a bit salty but he'll get over it."

"Your mother hates me too."

"Well… I can't lie, she doesn't like you much. But hate? Not quite."

Rolling her eyes but snorting, she used her upper teeth to pull at her bottom lip.

"But hey, she loves Sofia so I'm sure she'll warm up to you… eventually, maybe."

"Okay you are not helping like at all."

Lifting her chin up, he smiled. "I love you. That's all that matters to me."

Taking in a deep breath, the warmness of her stare settled into his eyes and she wrinkled her nose. "I don't do well with feelings… I, I think emotionally illiterate is a term that has been thrown to me several times. But… I do feel and your feelings are not completely un-reciprocated."

Doing a double take and scoffing, Robin frowned. "Are all those words code to say you do love me?"

Quirking her lips because he was pushing it too far, she used her hands on his shoulders to push herself up. She only managed to go halfway because as she was getting up he grabbed her waist and made her go down again.

She was going to complain about it, but before she could even say the words he kissed her, his tongue sliding into her mouth so that he could nudge her into action.

Sighing, she kissed him back, her fingers buried into his hair and his arm circled around her making them grind closer.

"You don't have to say anything." He said without pulling too far from her mouth.

Nodding, she closed her eyes and brushed her lips to his. For almost a minute, that's all they did, but then as if taken out of her trance, she kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Do you still have those hideous curtains in the kitchen? Because I don't think I can stay there too long if I have to see them every single day."

Trying to keep his lips from curving into a smile, he blinked slowly. "I'll throw them out, I'll burn them if you want me to."

"Good, can we talk now about that dinner you mentioned earlier on?"

"Sure, come on." Seeing how she wanted to change the subject and not wanting to push for more, he helped her clean up; once they were done they got out of the tub and dried up.

They did that without exchanging a word, and it was only when he was finishing up putting his underwear and she was slipping into a silky robe that she went to him and snuggled against him.

He automatically wrapped her in a hug at the same time that he couldn't help but to realize how odd that was. Sure, they had done a lot of touching and even cuddling in bed in the aftermatch of their lovemaking, but never before had she gone to him like that out of the blue.

"Hey, are you alright?" Could it be that he pushed too far with her? He was aware that she was still somehow reluctant into fully jumping head first into their relationship and maybe talking about feelings and telling her he wanted her to move into his house was a bit premature.

"I think I love you too, you know, but I don't want you to make a fuss about it."

Biting hard on his lips, he let go of her and swirled around so that he could head towards the door. Regina watched him with a frown. "Where are you going?"

"Are you bloody serious? I'm heading straight into that party to tell everyone in there that we are so love with each other that we may as well…"

Interrupting him, she went to him and slammed the door shut. "Oh don't you dare." She laughed despite herself and when he picked her up, she circled his neck with both hers arms.

Tightening his hold on her, he kissed her, first her cheek and then her shoulder. "I told you it was going to be worth it, didn't I?"

"You did." She replied as he buried his nose into her hair.

As she said that, he turned around and still carrying her, he took her back into the bedroom. Once there he let her lay in bed while he rested on top of her.

"So how about we skip dinner and do other… things?"

"No I don't think so. I'm hungry." She said, but when he kissed her, she allowed him to do it and even kissed him back, and when his lips moved to her throat and started to trace a path to her shoulder she encouraged him with a soft moan and then when he started to pull her robe open she helped him, succumbing once again to him.

It was done, she was prey of his lips and slave to his eyes and if truth be told, she was willing to give it all and embark with him to whatever destiny had in store for them.

Yes, they were a product of the consequences born out of many bad decisions and that they ended like they were was completely unexpected.

They had definitely gone a long away considering how it all began, but as she lay in that bed, with her eyes closed and breathing into his scent, she was sure that there was no other way and no turning back for her.

~*FIN*~


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bringing this story back for Prompt Week: Personal (details at the end) and #154, Robin takes Regina stargazing.

There was not a single word in Regina Mill's vocabulary that could summarize and then describe the turmoil of emotions she was feeling right in that moment. No, there really wasn't… because as much as she has tried to look for one, the reality of it all was that she was feeling a lot of things at once, and there was no word in the entire universe that could put them all together to outline exactly what was it that she was feeling.

It was numb… stupefied, perplexed, definitely anxious and yes, why not put it out there? A little scared with a tingle of excitement starting to grow from the deepest part of her being. It was all that and more, and try as she might, she couldn't find the right word to put all that together.

She has been at it for a while, just sitting there, with her makeup on point, her hair perfectly done and her designer dress smoothly flowing down her body… brushing against the cold marble of the bathroom's floor as her mind kept going around in circles.

Could it be that _surprised _was the word? She guessed it worked, but at the same time, it kind of fell too short to the magnitude of what was happening because holy crap, she was pregnant.

Yes. Pregnant; just eight letters, but boy oh boy, they carried the weight of a thousand tons, and all of such a burden just suddenly dropped right on her shoulders, forcing her to carry them and all the implications that came with it through her entire life.

Because yes, pregnant was just a word, but the meaning of it was something she was going to carry from now on until forever.

"Oh God." She whimpered, holding the pregnancy test in a slightly shaking hand; and as she stared at it, her eyes glued to the simple word flashing from the white and blue stick, she couldn't help but to feel a huge sense of uncertainty wash over her.

It was just that… she didn't know what to do, or how to react… or even less, how to tell him…

Now sure, when she bought the test earlier that day, she did it knowing there was a possibility the wretched little thing could turn out to be positive, so to this new reality, she should have a plan already. But if she had to be honest, she would have to admit that deep inside, she has been almost a hundred percent sure she was going to get a negative result and that would be it.

Confirming she was not pregnant would let her push aside that small doubt wanting to take residence inside her brain and then she could go on with her night and yes, with her life, as she had planned.

But no… she didn't get a negative but a damn positive, and now she honestly wasn't sure how to react.

Maybe she was in shock, stuck in a limbo where there was nothing but disbelief surrounding her because… God, she couldn't believe she was going to have another baby.

A second child wasn't now just a possibility, it wasn't an _'I'm a little late and feeling funny so what if_…' no… now it was _it_, it was real…

Taking in a deep breath, the brunette woman put the pregnancy test over the sink and then she closed her eyes, throwing her head back as she sat on the closed lid of the toilet.

"What am I going to do now?" What were they going to do?

Instead of silence, which was what she has been expecting, a loud bark echoed all through the bathroom, making her jump a bit startled. After, her response was immediate, her body straightening and her eyes opening… searching and then finding the source of such a loud noise.

It was Tuck, Robin's dog and he was just there, sitting by the toilet and looking at her expectantly.

"What are you doing here? Is it that I can't even have a moment alone in the bathroom now?"

Because really, if it wasn't the dog, it was Sophia… sometimes even Roland, all of them always needing something when she was the most _busy_.

"Just go, okay?"

Tuck barked again, and wanting to be alone, she narrowed her eyes and flashed him what was supposed to be a warning look to send him running away. It didn't work though, because instead of fleeing, he just moved forward and rested his head on her lap.

"Ugh, Tuck… my dress." Knowing that now the ridiculously expensive piece she was wearing for the night was going to end up all covered in the dog's hair, Regina complained.

Not like Tuck cared, because instead of going away, what he did was go even further by lifting himself over her so that he could nuzzle his nose into the crook of her neck.

Defeated because yes, maybe over the past year and a half she has officially been with Robin, she ended up warming to the little beast as she never thought she would, Regina sighed, wrapping her arms around him as a way to find some comfort

It was weird because snuggling with the dog was definitely not a thing she used to do, but that night she did and it felt good.

"Serves me well for listening to him… Gosh, I shouldn't have listened to him."

Petting Tuck as she blinked her eyes several times, Regina scoffed… still having trouble internalizing the latest news of adding a new member to the family.

Now, surprised as she was feeling, there was one thing that was very clear in her mind and it was this: all of what was happening, all of it, was her own damn fault…

Yes, there was no doubt about it because by then, she should have known better than listening to Robin.

It was simple, the man had a kick out of having the worst ideas ever and she knew it… yet, for some reason, she always ended up following him right along.

He wanted to rent a Villa by the ocean to invite his family and friends to celebrate the New Year? Sure, why not? Even if she hated social gatherings that involved his family and Killian freaking Johnes; but yeah, she went right on with it. He wanted to have sex even if she has been ovulating and the kids were still up? Yeah, why not? let's make it a quickie before they notice and he would have to leave on a business trip without getting some from her…

Now, because she ended up agreeing with all the things he ever came up with, she was pregnant and basically hiding in the bathroom of a house that wasn't her own, while Robin and all his invitees happily drank, laughed and socialized outside.

So yes… she should have known better than listening to Robin and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be in the situation she was now.

"Regina… what are you doing?"

Startled by the sound of the culprit of all her problems drilling into her brain, Regina watched as Tuck betrayed her by moving away from her to go and jump over Robin. She watched almost in stupefaction, her eyes huge as plates and for some reason, with her heart hammering against her chest.

"Are you…?"

Before he could finish, the brunette woman quickly got to her feet, hiding with her body the pregnancy test that now rested over the sink. "What? Nothing I was just-" She stopped there, her eyes widening even more as she noticed the huge smile that was breaking out of the man's face. "What?"

"You really thought I wasn't going to find out about this?"

Her jaw clenched hard as she looked at him, for some reason feeling like her heart was suddenly beating too slow now... It was as if time slowed down to a crawl for a moment so that she could take all the time she needed to drink on his reaction.

Everything was now in slow motion.

But, if she had to be honest, even with all the extra time, she wasn't sure what to make of that knowing smile he was flashing her way.

Was he happy? He looked happy and why shouldn't he be? They were doing fine, they were in a good place in their relationship so why wouldn't he be okay about expanding the family.

Sure, they never talked about babies since they were busy with their daughter and then his son, but there was no denying that Robin loved kids and that he saw stars for them, so she couldn't see him getting upset about this...

But, if she was going to be honest, she wished she would have been able to tell him any other way. Maybe test the waters first, get an inside look about how he really felt about another child right in that moment, when they so recently got Roland to live with them permanently….

"Robin-"

Licking on his lips and taking a couple of steps towards her, the blue-eyed man circled her waist with his arms and pulled her closer, so close she could almost feel his lips on hers.

"I suspected it for a while, even if I had no proof… but now, Regina Mills, I caught you red handed… and you can talk all your talk and roll your eyes all you want at him, but the fact is that I now know that you sneak away to cuddle with my dog."

Frowning and tilting her head a bit up, Regina scoffed. Not exactly getting him. "I do what?"

"I just saw you, so don't even try to deny it."

Moving his hand to her lower back, Robin smiled, and when he saw the way her own lips curved into one of her infamous smirks, he kissed her, his mouth pressing lightly against hers tenderly.

The small contact made her hum, especially when she now realized he was talking about her and Tuck and not about the pregnancy test; so feeling a little relieved that she could tell him on her own time, probably when the house wasn't full, her hands settled on his shoulders and her fingers started playing with the edge of his shirt.

Now Robin… if someone would have told her two years ago, that she was going to end up feeling so much for him, not only would she have laughed bitterly, but she would have probably thrown whatever sharp object she would have found at that person for saying something that during that time, seemed impossible.

Back then, she had thought them to be too messed up to even get along, so the idea of them being together as a couple would have been too hard to grasp.

But it happened, they managed to overcome so many obstacles and leave in the past so many things, hurtful things that they both did to each other. They overcame all that, and now they were there, living together and about to have another child.

It was almost perfect… or at least it would be if she knew how being pregnant again made her feel… or if she knew how he was going to react for that matter.

"My mum was looking all over for you, mumbling about how someone needed to make the kids take a nap. She says we shouldn't make them stay awake until midnight…"

Groaning and pulling slightly away, Regina rolled her eyes because yes, she momentarily forgot about putting the kids to sleep and that would definitely not make her gain brownie points with the older woman.

It was no secret how Robin's mother has never warmed up to her and Regina didn't want to keep adding to that dislike. "Yeah… yeah… she's right... I'll do it-"

Predicting that she was going to pull away, Robin held on her tighter, his mouth immediately searching for hers so that he could kiss her how it was meant to be this time; deeper, with his tongue breaking into the sweet cave of her mouth to make it happen.

"You taste like whiskey."

"Is that bad?" Robin asked, nipping on her lips before diving right back in, kissing her long and deep and feeling ecstatic when she reciprocated with the same fervor.

It was something he would never get tired of; kissing her, breathing on her scent and soaking in the idea that such an amazing woman was his… that even though they started with the wrong foot, that now she loved him the same way he loved her.

She didn't say it often, but she didn't have to. She showed it to him, day by day, and for him, that was more than enough.

It was why he wanted to make her his wife, and if things went his way that night, he was going to ask her.

It was a matter of finding the right moment for it...

"Did I mention that you look really, really good tonight?"

Pouting her lips and loving the way he started to kiss his way down to her collarbone, Regina hummed, her hands moving to his head so that her fingers could bury into his hair. "Yeah you did."

"Then I'll say it again, you look stunning… in all sense of the word. I think we should take pictures, by the ocean… just you, and me..."

Smiling because she had the impression that he was a bit drunk, Regina shook her head, deciding that no, that night wasn't a good night to tell him the news. She would do it the next day, in private and without the risk of him going immediately to his family to blurt out the news at the top of his lungs.

"That sounds lovely, but the kids... Someone needs to put them to bed and besides your mother, I happen to be the only sober person in his house."

"Then good thing she took on the task already. Last time I saw her, she was trying to get a hold of Mal's daughter to make her go to bed."

"What? No, no…" Blowing out a breath, Regina detached herself from Robin's arms and grabbing the skirt of her long dress not to stumble on it, she started to make her way out.

She couldn't let Robin's mother take care of the kids; no… it was only going to make the woman hate her more; because yes, she knew the Locksley's matriarch didn't like her as her son's love partner, but at least she knew she respected her as a mother because she was a good one… but if she started to think otherwise, then she would have nothing.

Before she could walk out of the bedroom they were sharing in the villa, Robin grabbed her and made her turn to him. "Hey, hey… it's okay… she was fine with it. You know she loves getting to play Grandma with them so it's not like she is going to get bothered."

"Maybe not with Sophia and Roland, but Mal's girl… you know she's a handful and I don't want her saying how she hates my drunk friend the same way she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"But I'm sure as hell not her favorite person either."

Chuckling, Robin used the back of his hand to run his knuckles against her cheek. "Well… you are my favorite person. Does that count for something?"

Letting him kiss her lips briefly as his hands settled on her ass to bring her closer, Regina arched an eyebrow, kind of knowing where Robin wanted to get to by being all mellow. "It doesn't count if you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk." He went to kiss her again, and even when she wanted to tell him that he couldn't say he wasn't at least a bit tipsy after she saw him with both Killian and Mal downing almost half a bottle of the amber liquid, she just kissed him back, succumbing to him as she always did.

This time, Robin demanded more than he ever did that night; he pressed harder, taking over her lips until his tongue darted forward to join the crusade, pushing through the barrier of her mouth so that he could swirl his tongue around hers.

It was a temptation hard to resist, because Robin's kiss was as always, addicting, the feeling invading all of her senses until she could do nothing more than to respond in kind.

For the longest time, they kissed like that, the moment getting heated with his hands grinding her to him and the kiss intensifying until Regina was sure she was going to melt in his arms.

She wasn't sure how he always did that, but there she was, the heat between her legs making her forget the bomb she had to drop on him…

"You keep kissing me like that and I'll end up taking that dress off and having you right here, right now."

"Hmm I wouldn't object to that. I wouldn't object to you taking me right here without taking off my dress either."

Robin sucked in a breath, very tempted to do so because fuck it all, she looked amazing and felt even better, and there was nothing he wanted more than to bury himself in her until it would be hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

But, as much as he ached for her, he wanted to go on with the plan of proposing to her and he didn't want to cheapen it with a quickie. After she said yes, because God, he really hoped she would say yes, they could have all the sex in the world…

"I would love that, trust me, but… I also want to take you out for a walk by the beach… you know, before it gets too close to midnight to be able to sneak away from the others."

"I won't have sex on the beach… you hear me, not with this dress and definitely not with your mother or worse, Killian lurking around."

Snorting, Robin kissed the tip of her nose. "No sex, just star gazing, maybe a glass of wine… definitely some smooching."

Rolling her eyes, Regina sighed. "You're impossible."

"I know, now come on." Grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers with hers, Robin drew in a deep breath and started to walk out of the room and out of the villa, suddenly feeling a hell of a lot nervous about what he was going to do.

He was going to propose, to Regina Mills, by the beach, while his family and close friends remained clueless by the house...

It was a bloody intimidating thing because yes, he was sure there was no lack of love from her part and let alone from his, but this was Mills, the woman who has been so out of reach and high above his head when he started working in the company and he was going to ask her to marry him.

Fuck…

Suddenly feeling like he needed another drink, Robin grabbed and opened a bottle of wine from the kitchen, reached for two glasses and turned to her.

"Rosé?"

Regina just smiled what he thought was a forced smile and shook her head. "No, I'm okay."

It was odd, how she turned down what he knew to be her favorite brand, but because he was too nervous to muse on that, he drank his share so that he could go on with the plan.

"Okay… let's do this."

Trying for some self-encouragement, he reached for her hand again and then he did his best to sneak across the illuminated patio unseen, as he didn't want any kind of interruption that could make his resolution of asking her that night crumble.

He managed, leaving everyone behind, but when he was at last walking hand in hand with the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with by the shore, he suddenly felt like he didn't know how to do this.

Should he just drop to one knee, profess his undying love and ask her the big question? or should he go with the flow and wait until the moment was there for him to grab?

He didn't know and yes, it was silly feeling so antsy about it; first because with him being divorced, it was not the first time he ever proposed, and second, because this was a woman with whom he already lived and had a daughter with.

But still… he was for some reason, a nervewreck...

"It's a lovely night, isn't it?"

Regina, who has been submerged into her own doubts of whether she should just tell him now or keep with the plan of going for it the next day, looked at him and tried to put on her best face. "It is. I'm kind of not hating how you dragged us all across the country to get here."

Robin smiled that dimple smile she has come to love so much, his hold on her hand getting a little tighter and his eyes shining so beautifully with the pale light casted by the moon. "Well, I wanted to celebrate this New Year somewhere nice… with all of the people that I love…"

"And why is Killian here?" Regina rolled her eyes, knowing the answer already because yes, as much of a jerk as the man was, he was still Robin's best friend, so of course he was going to invite him along.

"Why do you think? If we were going to invite Mal, I needed someone to provide lots and lots of alcohol for her to drink and Killian happens to be that man."

"Hmm, I know. But Mal tends to get… well, a little interesting when she drinks, so I'm not exactly sure getting those two together was actually a good idea. Do you remember Sophia's birthday and how they both got?"

Chuckling, Robin pulled her a bit closer, kissing her temple as they kept walking along the shore. "How could I forget? Hell… I don't think anyone can forget, especially the guy working on the bounce house."

Remembering herself, Regina shook her head and hummed, her eyes narrowing. "Didn't you get in the bounce house as well?"

"Yes, but I was sober, and my daughter needed me to save her from those two clowns getting all crazy in there."

Arching an eyebrow because she didn't remember him saving anybody, Regina looked straight ahead, still keeping the mental note to never get a bounce house for a kiddies birthday party again. "Sure."

"It has been good… you know… us being together, right?"

Blinking slowly as soon as she took notice of the way Robin stopped walking so that he could instead stand in front of her, Regina lightly bit on her lips. "Yeah… it has been good… mostly." They had their ups and down like any other couple, but she would say that now it was mostly ups.

Yes, it took them to get there, because there has been so much resentment they needed to let go first; but day by day, they slowly started to build something she knew was strong enough to stand against anything… including an unplanned pregnancy…

So the question was, if she really believed so, then why couldn't she just tell him?

Could it be that part of her was afraid that a pregnancy could ignite some of the harsh feelings he has harbored against her after she hid Sophia's entire pregnancy? Could it be that she sensed that this would trigger some memories and make the worst part of their relationship come back to the surface?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she did know that she didn't want him going back to hating her, so yes, maybe that was it.

Sucking into a deep shaky breath and suddenly feeling like she needed to throw up, Regina closed her eyes. She meant to turn around and just walk back towards the house, but when Robin grabbed both her hands in his and brought them to his mouth to kiss them, her eyes opened up… directly staring into the depths of his blue stare.

It took her breath away… but in a way, it felt soothing, calming, and suddenly, the need to be sick was nothing else but the words getting stuck in her throat and trying to wrestle their way out.

She had to tell him, and if he hated her then he hated her, but at least she was going to know and get it off her system.

"It has been quite a journey, for both of us… and I… know it has not been easy, but like I told you once, it has been worthy…"

"I'm pregnant."

With the word he has been saying barely rolling out of his tongue, Robin did a double take, his mind listening but not registering what Regina just blurted out. "You're what?"

She didn't say anything to that question, but she sucked in a deep breath and looked at him with those amazing chocolate brown eyes he loved so much, and suddenly, she was looking too pale.

"Did you… did you say you were pregnant?"

Nodding, Regina blinked, one time and then another and he couldn't help it, he laughed, little by little assimilating the news.

He was going to have a baby with her? She was pregnant?

He held her hands tight, chuckling in a mixture of stupefaction and amazement. "But how and how do you know?"

Still having the same horrified expression, Regina scoffed. "I think you know how…"

"I know...but-" She was still sporting the same tense expression so with his mind going to some really ugly places, he just halted and asked. "Why that face, is this not a good thing? Is there something wrong with it?" He touched her stomach… not wanting to believe there could be anything wrong with their baby.

"Well, the only thing wrong is how you can end up hating me for it."

Robin, who was still feeling too confused to register the things she was saying with clarity, grabbed her face and kissed her. First full on the mouth and then along her cheek. "Why, I could never hate you over this, I'm just…" He laughed again, going back to kissing her lips. "Why would I hate you?"

Letting him rain little pecks all over her face, Regina closed her eyes and shrugged. "Because of the thing with Sophia's-"

Suddenly getting hit by what was wrong with her, Robin frowned, moving his hands to the back of her head and burying his fingers into her silky hair. "Hey, no… no, look at me. You know there's no looking back at the past. We just focus on the future… and Regina… I want us to have a future, together, as a family. Fuck… I was going to… I had all the words in my head and now they are gone… so let me just…"

He reached into the pocket of his pants and took out the small box he has been carrying for a while now and opened it, revealing the engagement ring on it.

Regina watched him do that, her eyes growing a bit wider as she probably realized what he was going to do.

"Regina… I know we didn't exactly start this the right way, and that there has been many rocks we ourselves put in our path to make it even more difficult. But despite everything, and I mean everything of what we've lived, be it good or bad, I am confident to say that we had to go through it in order for us to be here, this night, and living this moment… and trust me, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love what we have, what we've built, and if you would let me, I want to spend my entire life keeping on with it. Loving you, loving our family, adding to it all of what comes with making a life together. So Regina, would you marry me?"

By then, the brunette woman was simply looking at him, her eyes wide and sparkling and for a moment, Robin was sure she was lost somewhere in translation. Could it be that he rambled too much? Oh, or maybe it was that he didn't get down on one knee.

"Wait, I didn't-" He started to rectify that error by getting down, but before he could, Regina grabbed him and forced him up.

"What are you doing? That's an Armanni. You can't just do that."

"Seriously? I just proposed and that's all you worry about?"

Snorting by lack of any other thing to do, Robin was about to run a hand down his face, but before he could, Regina wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him, pressing hard against his lips as she did something he hadn't been exactly expecting, she laughed.

"Yes, I will marry you."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Feeling his face heat up and his smile grow so wide his cheeks started to ache, Robin grabbed her hand and slipped in the ring. Once in place, she gave her a few seconds to admire it before lifting her off the ground and kissing her.

"God, I love you so much, you can't even imagine how much."

Regina kissed him back as he supported her weight on his hands, grabbing her ass and pressing her as close to him as he could.

"Love you too."

For a while, that was all they did, kiss, long and deep until she was sure her lungs were going to explode. Then, the worst thing that could happen, happened.

"Are you going to keep us waiting forever here?"

It was Killian, interrupting their moment so rolling her eyes, Regina buried her face into the crook of her now fiancee's neck. "You told him?"

"Yeah… kind of. Mal too… And my family?"

"So she said yes or what?"

Licking her lips, she recognized that as Robin's brother so knowing herself to be in a compromising position, she tried to slide down from Robin's hold.

Not like Robin let her, and instead, patting her ass without putting her down, he kissed her cheek. "She said yes!"

Killian groaned, she heard him loud and clear, but then, she felt the man wrap both her and Robin in an embrace. It was a quick thing, then as, if it was nothing, he turned around and yelled. "Skinny dipping, anyone?"

"Well I don't want to see that, you?" Robin asked low in her ear.

"No."

"Okay… but we still have about half an hour before we have to wake up the kids and join the others, so what do we do?"

Kissing his neck, she hummed. "How about, we go back to the room and you do that thing you wanted to do to me earlier on?"

"Mmm, sounds like a plan."

Without having to say anything else, Robin took her back to the house, a smile on his face and what was more important, the woman he loved, mother of her kids and his future wife, in his arms… as it was meant to be, from now on until forever.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this update was for OQpromptweek, and it is after a personal prompt that goes: years later, Robin wants to propose to Regina and Regina just learnt that she is pregnant with their second child, but she doesn't know how to tell him. So both of them try to surprise the other one. Hope it came out okay!


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